Starlight
by J.D. FarnWorth
Summary: Shortly before the Unification War. The Alliance struggled to pull the outer planets into their control. The Starlight's crew thought they were safe from the turmoil already gripping the 'verse. That is until the Alliance comes to visit.
1. Chapter 1

Starlight Chapter 1

By J.D. FarnWorth

All rights belong to that of Joss Whedon, Fox and whoever else would lay claim to the Firefly and Serenity Verse. Don't copy or use this material without the permission of myself AND someone holding the copyright. It is for entertainment use only.

Prologue

Out past Jubilee and Greenleaf, in the sector of space that was once know as New Vegas, floats a station like no other.

The sector, like its name sake was once a Mecca for the elite and the down trodden alike. It was a place that men could lose themselves in a perpetual night to remember; out of the prying eyes of law enforcement it was quite the destination.

The Starlight's casino was known 'verse wide and only matched by the great casinos on Londinium. The food was excellent and the lodging was compared to the great companion houses on Sihnon. It was a wonder when they closed the station to the public in 2497.

The Red Sun Corporation took control of the Lexus in September of that year and by years end the station had gone dark. It had been rumored that the Red sun corporation had been losing money in the resorts on Mel Bourne and Greenleaf and for no other reason bought the Lexus Corporation to close the station down. Only a hand picked crew remained.

The station's communication array became vital in 2502 during the hostilities on Jubilee so much so that Alliance command nationalized the station and replaced most of the hand picked crew with laborers from all over the verse. The later being cheaper and should something happen no one would ask any questions about a few missing lower rung employees.

Two years later, the skeleton crew resides over its systems. They fight the boredom of living aboard the behemoth station that is slowly falling apart around them.

Chapter one

Starlight station, module one, Deck one, July 12th, 2504, 09:10

The control room was dimly lit by the flicker of the three large monitors above the main board. With 12 station consoles, the room was once the hub of every decision made on the station. Through the neglect of years and lack of a repair budget, only two control consoles remain functional.

It is a lonely post for communications officer Gabe Smith, a fat man more at home in a card room than employee. It is more than a rumor that he lost everything on Mel Bourne and was giving his job as a chance to work off his debts. When the Lexus Corporation was sold to Red Sun his contract went with the deal.

Gabe leaned into the microphone and flipped the switch. "Can anyone hear me?" He was hungry and tended to whine to get his way.

The intercom crackled reminding him he would have to repair the damn thing before it fritz out completely.

Jenny Horn's answer, sounded distant with a bit of a Londinium accent, "Yeah? What you need babe?" Every one knew she was from the inner Core originally but she chose never to talk about her past.

He keyed up her location and put her image up on the main screen. She was in the gym of all places. "_For God's 'sack'_! Does she ever work," he thought.

In fact, like Gabe she also had gotten into a bit of trouble and was transferred here as head activities director for the station. Being that there is not much use for her skill set on a mostly abandon station she spends most of her time keeping fit and waiting for the call to return to New Melbourne.

"Jenny, love, I haven't had breakfast. Can you sit watch for a few?" Gabe strummed the console with his meaty hand awaiting her response.

"Can't you get someone else?"

The Core accent was too much for the fat man handle this early in the morning. Gabe leaped from his chair which fell back to the deck making loud noise that interrupted the Com channel for a few seconds. He paused and waited for the feedback to subside.

On the boarder of losing the rest of his patience he asked, "Well, who would you suggest? I just called out on 300 intercoms and you are the only one that bloody answered." His own Core accent always made its way to the surface when he got upset.

Another tense pause, Gabe watched Jenny on the main viewer. She was making no effort to move toward the command center.

"Gabe," a deeper voice of Adam Stark answered. "I will be up there in a minute." He sported that educated hillbilly accent use on many Border Worlds.

"Thanks, Adam," Gabe answered joyfully.

He switching off the intercom and turned the main monitor back over to Cortex to continue to watch a replay of the Rufflesteins, an animated program popular 15 years ago in the Core Worlds. He could hear the airlock open and close, down the corridor from the command center.

Adam strolled in and managed to miss the piles of food containers scattered across the room. "So, you look busy," saying this as he ran his finger through the layer of dust covering one of the malfunctioning consoles.

"Never said I was busy, Ta ma de, I said was I was hungry," Gabe answered grabbing his bulk and swung it around.

Adam looked on at the display of the gross dis-portioned man without responding.

Gabe smiled as what he perceived as discussed and announced, "It takes a lot of fuel to keep this ship flying."

Adam pointed to the hatch and said, "You're always hungry, just don't take too long."

"Be back after I get some chow and I take a crap," Gabe said as he exited the command center.

"Too much information," Adam yelled after Gabe through the hatch. He turned back to the monitors and listened as the hatched closed down the corridor. The console was filthy. Adam cleared off the control panel and touched the keyboard.

The monitor reacted and as the Prowler program started. He watched as the computer identified each of the crew, marking each with a red circle. Gabe was walking slowly to the Caf-Deck. Acting Captain Rodney Wilson looked to be in the grav-room. Marty Hegel and Zack Hegel were in their bunks. Judy was playing draw poker on one of the working one-armed bandits. Jenny was lifting weights in the gym.

He zoomed in on the beautiful young woman until her torso filled the screen. Her body glistering with sweat made her skin shiny under the bright lights of the gym.

Adam touched the screen with the palm of his hand. He hadn't heard the hatch close as Gabe walked up behind him and laughed at the daydreaming man.

"You want me to take a little longer?" he said, as he continued to eat out of his Bento box.

The younger man turned off the monitor and stood up. Without a word, he exited into the corridor.

Gabe listened for the hatch to close at the end of the corridor and turned the monitor back on. Jenny's image filled the monitor once more. She had risen up and her head was cut from view. He reached out as Adam had, and touched the monitor.

"If you weren't such a bitch_, me and you _could have fun," he laughed at the thought of Adam. He reduced the image to a smaller window and went back to his lunch tray and the Rufflesteins.

The command center and crew docking is on deck one. Crew quarters, the gym and the Caf-deck is on the second and third decks. Module one connects to the casino module through a narrow circular ramp way. It was designed to close off the rest of the station to the nuts and bolts of the operation.

The station was built and towed out in four parts. The second module consisted of the main floor of the casino, restaurants, an auditorium and the bulk of guest rooms that lined the outside of the station. Giving the either a view of the stars or a view of the floor of the casino, depending on the taste of the individual taste of the guest making the reservation.

Adam headed down the dark corridor past the closed doors. He had once wanted to open each door and look inside. Most rooms on the station were still furnished with a nice bunk and head. The station had lost its luster since its heydays. He often compared this place to a tomb, the guests replaced by quiet dust bunnies moving along the decking with the air flow.

He slipped into his cabin and grabbed his electronic clipboard. Turning, he jumped as if he had seen a ghost.

"Just a halo image," he whispered.

When he was younger he hadn't talked to himself, but that was before coming to live on this hunk of crap in space. Every once in a while someone would see a ghost, it was said that life in the black makes your brain compensate and Halo images from ones memory will play tricks on the eyes. He hoped that they were right and the station wasn't haunted by the ghost of the visitors that came and never returned home from this place.

Adam started toward engineering, on the way he stopped to check valves and adjusting the equipment. He didn't know what half the equipment did, but he marked it off the list and moved on. This was his job, three times a day.

Back when the Starlight station had been lit up like a star cluster, his job was performed by no less than three people. If the task wasn't performed three times a day, an alarm would sound in the control room. After two consecutive alarms, the damned computer would send notice to Jubilee and automatically place a reprimand in his jacket. If he was reprimanded at this job three times, he would be fired and bound for dereliction of duty.

"One more page," he said, walking down the ramp way entering into the main casino.

The utility colored walls and decking disappeared in his peripheral vision, replaced by carpeted decking, which was dark purple with swirls of color. He imagined it was to force eyes up and onto hundreds of one-armed bandits that lay before him.

The casino was once the centerpiece to the station. Purple drapery and banners once hung from the tall ceilings lay here and there. Row after row of gaming machines and tables still stand like an army of thieves ready to separate guests from their wealth.

"You talking to yourself, sexy?" said Judy coyly. Her accent was definitely borderland hillbilly passing her from Greenleaf.

"Yeah, sorry," he answered, Looking up and seeing Judy at her usual spot waiting for him to pass.

"Why not stay a while and give me some company?" She swiveled around in the tall chair and stopping just in time to reach out as he passed to grabbed his butt.

Adam jumped and moved directly away from her. She was at least 10 inches taller and weighed twice his 150 pounds.

"I am busy, Judy, and if I don't get this done it's my ass," he answered, waving the EC into the air with one hand to punctuate his statement.

"That is what you always say," she purred and releasing him.

He knew she had the choice of hundreds of poker machines. She only picked this bank because he walked this route six times a day.

As he reached the end of the row of machines, Adam turned and looked back. She waved her strong fingers at him and moved her lips without letting the words escape.

Adam muttered, "Did she whisper that she loves me? Yikes!" He shook the thought off and went through the hatch that leads to the third Module.

Judy watched him disappear as she always did. She had grown up on Greenleaf, in a settlement not far from Borha, the second largest city on the small planet. She was used to being popular with the men of her hometown. She left their company looking for a second chance as many of the settler's youth where doing more and more.

Judy played another round of poker and smiled, thinking of Adam. She knew he didn't want her, but he never came out and said so. She smiled and waved each day hoping he would return her advances. She felt lonely in the black.

Back on Greenleaf, she had found an advisement that read. "Do you want to live the adventure of space travel?" It had been posted on the entrance to the Air-lock which was the only pub in town. On the back ground of the poster it showed men and women working together at some unnamed Space port.

"Some adventure," she said, as if having a conversation with her poker machine. She pushed the replay button one more time.

"Player wins," the machine announced sedately followed by a series of bells. The credits added to her player's card and as stood up from the game.

"If I were only a winner of men," Judy said, walking back to the Caf-Deck.

The Caf-deck was empty of crew but had an endless supply of hot water for tea and other drinks of choose. She poured a cup of hot water from the tall urn. Water piped in from somewhere filled the urn and left a reservoir of water for a crew of a hundred.

The tea wasn't like the coffee back home, but she loved it just the same. She took a sip and it was hot. Blowing at it, she moved round the counter and bumped her head once again into the bulkhead and yelled, "_Wuh de ma."_

"_Aiya! Hunaile?" _asked Zack as he wandered in.

She turned around, holding her forehead. "Yeah, something's wrong! I hit my _gorram_ head again." She lifted her hand and exposed the red bump forming on her forehead.

Zack took a free seat and wiped the table in front of him with the turned down palm of his hand. "So, what's for breakfast?" he asked.

Years before, the chairs and tables had been moved into the kitchen, along with signs that read Café and Dock. Sometime after the new crew arrived on board, someone had moved the letter 'e' to 'dock' and made a new sign that read Caf-Deck. The name stuck, and everyone referred to the only working kitchen as the Caf-Deck.

"I can warm up some soup from yesterday, along with some of those muffins you liked." She stuck her head in the cooler to make sure that Gabe hadn't raided the food stuffs.

"Sounds good. Have you heard anything this morning?" Zack asked, glancing into the corridor.

"Such as?" she answered looking confused as Marty from his cabin three doors down screamed.

"_Wei_, what the hell! Is this piss?''

"Like that for instance," Zack said grabbing the muffins from her hand and headed for the corridor.

"What did you do?" demanded Judy broaching a smile upon her lips.

"Got that _wun gwo pee _brother of mineback for a year's worth of practical jokes. Now to make my escape," he answered stopping at the hatch way leading into the corridor.

"_Dzai Gee'en,_" she called after him.

He waved as he turned the corner and broke into a sprint, pursued by a short man with a rather pungent odor.

The third module houses environmental controls and engineering for the station. It also would be the underbelly of the station. Waste treatment and recycling as well as Gravitation controls. Except for the deck area set aside for guest docking and reception the whole of module three was painted the same color as the outside of the station, a dull utility gray.

Adam stopped at a console marks escape lifeboats and emergency. He pulled the panel free and pushed his EC into the exposed port. It started his daily test automatically.

His thoughts turned to Judy once more. It wasn't that she was heavy (she wasn't), it was the fact that she just scared him. He was like a child compared to her size. He wasn't sure what they fed the settlers on Greenleaf, but they were sure huge.

The EC unit made its ready sound and he moved on deeper into the stations systems.

Adam turned and stepped into the Grav-room. He motioned a hello to the acting captain.

"_Ni hao_! I trust that everything is ship shape?" Captain Rod said, wiping grease from his hands and moved across the room to the other control panel.

"Ship shape and in Bristol fashion, sir," Adam said as he joined the captain at the grav-control panel.

"It is hard to believe that little control panel controls the gravity on every deck on the station," stated the captain.

"Yeah, as long as we leave it alone, it should last for years without a major overhaul," Adam said, without knowing where the captain was taken him. He watched the captain monkey with the controls before asking, "So, what are you up to?"

The captain didn't answer and continued to work the switches and key in codes into the computer. The captain was well trained as an engineer and really knew his craft. What worried Adam was the man's intention.

He watched as the tall man, went to one knee pulled the control board marked deck four supply room, from under the control panel.

"I just want to have a little fun. You might want to report a gravity malfunction on your EC," the captain answered raising up and pointed to Adam's hand held.

"Ah, yes, and what should I mark as its expected repair date?" Adam asked as he started the repair note.

"Extended," said the captain.

Adam looked up as the captain seeming to mull the situation over in his head.

"Order a new board for this console," ordered the captain.

"What might I say is the reason for the new board, sir?"

The captain dropped the board and crushed it under his foot and gave Adam a crazy look. "Dong le ma?" asked the captain.

"Yes, captain, I will mark it as tread damage," said the now smiling Adam, making a note in the log. "You know that they will never send us a part to replace that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I was kind of counting on it," answered the captain.

"Just checking, Sir."

"You ready to have some fun?" asked the captain referring to the new playground he had just created.

"Not just yet, I need to finish this up and upload the data, along with the tragic news of the loss of gravity in the supply room on Deck 13," Adam answered turning and pushed the EC into the console and watched as another daily test started.

"Oh, Adam, that wasn't just the supply room, that was the buss for the whole module."

"Great... have fun captain!" Adam stated watching the EC's readout of the percent of completion. He wondered if the captain had a touch of space madness. The stress of command seemed to weigh heavily on the leadership of this ghost station.

"Woo hew!" yelled the captain as he charged down the corridor.

"Why the hell did we make you acting captain?" Adam asked, pulling the EC from the port at the gravity station.

"I heard that," called the captain.

"Don't really care, sir."

The Forth Module of the station was designed as the main storage. When the Red Sun closed the Starlight, they auctioned off the food stuffs, and other hardware. In the end, it left the module an empty shell. The only thing they didn't sell was the Gaming machine. Most of the machines were outdated and there was a fear general that someone would want to start another casino.

Gabe pushed back in his chair and watched Zack run from Marty into the arena. He had no idea why Marty had the notion to kill his twin brother Zack, but he probably had his reasons. They didn't look like twins, Marty was much smaller. He had never taken the time to ask why Marty was a runt compared to that of his brother.

The intercom crackled as someone opened a connection, reminding him again to repair the gorram thing.

"Gabe, this is Adam, I am done with my rounds, and everything looks great. I am going to head down to Deck 13."

"What's going happening on Deck 13…?" Gabe said as he punched out the instruction to the prowler and zoomed in on camera 1309.

"Great, everyone gets to have fun but me," he whispered.

There, on the monitor, was the rest of the crew jumping off the walls and were having the time of their lives, while he had to sit here.

"Wait, wait," he said, switching from the crew and back to Zack and Marty. The little man had caught Zack and was now on top of the bigger man, beating him with his little fists.

"Okay, now this is more like it," he said, panning another camera around to watch the fight from a different angle.

The control panel for the docking airlock went from Red to Green, setting off a series of alarms all over the control room.

"Warning, Warning boarding of unauthorized personnel noted this day at 0,7,1,2 on 2,5,0,4 point 1,0 point 2,9," Stated, the computer's automated alarm as it sent a message back home to Jubilee. It repeated as Gabe struggled to find the volume controls and locate the port of entry. He rushed back to the intercom.

"We have company at port 14 on deck 1," he yelled as he heard a rifle's bolt slap a shell into its firing chamber. He shrugged and turned around to find the same rifle aimed at his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Starlight Chapter **2

By J.D. FarnWorth

All rights belong to that of Joss Whedon, Fox and whoever else would lay claim to the Firefly and Serenity Verse. Don't copy or use this material without the permission of myself AND someone holding the copyright. It is for entertainment use only.

Starlight station, Module four, Deck 12, July 12th, 2504, 10:31

Adam pushed off the bulkhead and was the first to make his way back onto the stairs. After he found his footing he reached out for Jenny and then Captain Rod. The three took to their feet as soon as they felt the gravity pull them back onto the decking, leaving Judy to find her own way off of the level.

"Stop at the junction," ordered their out of breath captain.

"Aye, aye sir," Adam managed to stammer out; he too suffered from lack of exercise.

On Deck 6, they stopped as the captain had asked and to catch their breath.

Captain Rod and Adam each showed signs of fatigue, Jenny however, didn't look like she had broken a sweat.

Adam and Jenny watched the captain open an unmarked door.

"What is in there, sir?" asked Adam.

"Weapons locker," answered the captain, still breathing heavily.

"We have a weapons locker?" asked Jenny.

"Yeah, there is a weapons locker on this level and on deck one," answered the captain, as he sorted the locker out.

"How did you know there were weapons lockers on the station?" asked Adam.

"I looked it up in the computer, just in case, we saw any pirates," answered Rod handing a pump action shotgun to Adam.

Adam in turn opened the action and loaded a magazine into the receiver.

"You want one?" he asked Jenny, pushing a Black pistol gripped shotgun toward her.

She shook her head and looked back at the now present Judy.

"Judy?" he asked, holding out the shotty for her as he had for Jenny.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Judy exclaimed with glee.

This made Adam a little more uncomfortable with Judy, a feat that he thought impossible.

"Okay, what do we do?" asked Adam looking over from Judy to the captain who had armed himself with a shotgun and pistol of his own.

"We head up and see who the hell is on our station and what they want," answered the captain chambering a round in his shotty.

"If this was a joke of Gabe's, can I kill him, sir?" asked Adam.

"You are going to have to stand in line for the job," whispered the captain Rod.

"Before we space Gabe, can I go hide somewhere?" asked Jenny.

"Yeah, just listen for the gun fire and wait for the cavalry," Adam answered, raising his shotty up hitting the ceiling of the corridor with a _thunk_.

They headed upstairs and were careful not to make any noise. On the ramp they met Marty and Zack, who both joined them on their climb to deck one. The hatch to the control room door was open, and the light from the room spilled out into the corridor.  
>"Gabe, everything okay in there?" asked the captain.<p>

"There goes the surprise," whispered Adam.

"Yeah, I am just having a good old time with captain, Commander? None-of-my-Business, Oh, Commander _Bizui,_" answered Gage from around the corner.

"Gabe would you like to get shot?" asked Adam, who never made a claim that he either understood or liked Gabe's sense of humor.

"Sorry, I am having more than one conversation at the moment. You need to drop your weapons and get your ass in here before they kill the lot of us. His words, not mine, Rod," answered Gabe, trying to sound more serious than normal.

"Whose words, Gabe," asked the captain, showing no signs of emotion?

"Commander _Bizui_ and the half dozen purple bellies that have really big guns pointed at...," his answer cut short as a one of the soldiers hit him with the butt of his gun.

They could here Gabe's four hundred pounds hit the deck.

Judy pointed up at the camera and they relaxed. She was the first to lower her shotty and set it on the deck, followed by Adam and Captain Rod.

"So, what now?" announced Captain Rod?

"Get in here," yelled a voice that they didn't recognize.

"Wait here," whispered Rod to the other four.

Adam nodded and watched Rod disappear into the control room. After a few seconds he realized that Judy had her hand on his buttocks. He smiled and looked back at her saying, "Really?"

She only grinned and lightly squeezed.

Captain Rod stepped through the hatch onto the cluttered deck of the command center.

"So good you could join us, Mister?" asked the tall man who wore black and right down to his leather gloves. He was obviously in charge.

Gabe lay on the floor next to his chair with this head resting on a stack of Bento boxes. His chest rose and fell but seemed labored.

"I am acting Captain Rodney Wilson. Is your name 'Bizui'?" he asked, looking around the bridge and the half dozen armed Alliance guardsmen, pointing the business end of the weapons at either Gabe or himself.

"My name is of no concern at this moment. Where is Captain Rutherford? He is the captain of the Starlight according to the records that I have," stated the commander.

"See, he wouldn't tell me his name either," said Gabe waking from being brained.

"Shhh," whispered the captain pulling him back up into his chair.

"If someone doesn't answer my questions, I will have everyone on board bound over for dereliction of duty and punished to the fullest extent of the law," said the stranger sounding more weasel than man.

"He went for walk," answered Gabe running his hand through his greasy hair.

"Captain Rutherford?" asked the man.

"Yes, Captain Rutherford stepped out and never returned. He is floating around here somewhere," answered Captain Rod.

"Last time I saw him he was near the port side thruster. Cold as a side of beef in the cooler," answered Gabe looking as the blood smear on his the palm of his hand.

"Bizui!" yelled both the captain and the man in Black. The captain and the Commander glanced at one another finding common ground in yelling at the communications officers.

"Alright, what gives you the right to call yourself captain?" asked the commander motioning the guardsmen to relax.

The soldiers slung their weapons but stayed within striking distance of Gabe and the captain.

The captain leaned against one of the dusty consoles and answered, "We reported the disappearance and the crew drew straws."

"I didn't get to draw a straw," interrupted Gage.

"Understandable," said the Commander removing his gloves and placing them into his pocket. He seemed to relax and nodded to the Master Chief and a few men. Following his silent orders they, left the control room to check on the rest of the Starlight's crew. He turned his attention back to the captain.

"And you won your rank by process of a simple game of chance?" asked the Commander.

"No, I lost. No one wanted the job, so I lost."

"_Interesting_. Captain Wilson, are you on duty?" asked the commander, running his finger over the console the stood between him and the captain.

"Aye, for the most part?"

"Mr. Blue, note the captain's appearance and send reprimand into his jacket."

"Aye aye, Commander," answered Mr. Blue who by the markings on his collar held the rank of Petty officer Second class. He raised a black EC and began punching out information on the key pad.

"Now, captain Wilson, you and your crew will be dressed in uniform and in my presence in 15 minutes or Captain Rutherford wont be the only man floating near…" he paused, looking over to Gabe.

"Oh, the port side thruster," interjected Gabe.

"Thank you, the port side thruster. Dohn ma?" asked the man in Black.

"Aye, sir," answered Captain Rod.

The commander nodded and waved them away.

"Who is going to watch my post?" asked Gabe.

"Mr. Blue is well qualified to take your post," he said and with a waved off his hand. The Petty officer holstered his pistol and moved to the console.

Gabe and the captain could tell that the Alliance soldiers were in fact a seasoned unit. Most of the orders the officer had given were more akin to telepathic communication. This only happens when a group spends years together. These weren't the regular blue bellies of the core worlds. They were the real deal, and the crew had just been dealt cards with nothing to show.

Down the corridor, Captain Rod and Gabe joined the rest of the crew. Judy gave Gabe a hug and then the captain.

"Did you hear that?" asked Gabe blushing from Judy's attention.

"No, what happened?" asked Judy.

"The guy just referred to this clown as a real captain," answered Gabe hitting the young man in the shoulder.

"Really, does he know that your last job was an injector cleaner on the Basure?" asked Zack.

"It didn't come up. Everyone needs to get into station overalls and meet me in the Caf-Deck in 15 minutes."

"I'm not sure I have a set," said Adam pushing Judy away just as she tried to hug him.

"You can have a set of mine. I have three sets I have never worn," announced Gabe.

"You have been here the longest of all of us. How is it you still having three sets of _unies_?" asked Judy.

"Hell, I still have three sets of the Red's from Red Suns brief ownership of the Starlight," answered Gabe, again feeling his head and glancing over to Judy.

"I'll have a look at that in a few, _k' hon_," Judy answered, looking sympathetic.

Adam pulled at Gabe to hurry and sort out their clothing issues. Judy watched them head down into crew quarter and moved closer to the captain and whispered, "Captain, why are they here? They don't come out this far, it is one thing to own the station and have a few communication outposts, but to come in strong." What worried her, the most was that she being this side of thirty, had never seen a purple belly up close. Sure, you see them all the time on _The Core news_ and other shows on the Cortex. "But out here," she whispered.

"No idea," he answered motioning her away as the Alliance officer had done to his own men. She didn't move but instead gave him a puzzling look.

"Who are they?" she demanded.

"No idea. Alliance secret service, maybe. That is all I know. Now you have fourteen minutes," said the captain, again shooing her off.

Captain Wilson turned to a comm-unit and opened a broadwave to all com stations. "Jenny, I am ordering everyone into standard Station jump suits. We have guests, and we will look the part. Everyone will meet me on the Caf-Deck in 14 minutes shaved and suited or you will go on report. Make this happen, _people_," he announced, turning the channel off and headed toward his cabin. He wondered if this meant he could move into Captain Rutherford's cabin.

"Oh, that would be shiny," he said aloud before he could catch himself.

As he passed the large portrait of Captain Rutherford and then the one of himself. It was a much smaller portrait, one of him wearing his crap covered overall from the Basure. He laughed, then ran back and removed it from the wall. He didn't want to remind anyone of the dark days before he was Captain Rodney Wilson.

The Caf-Deck seemed full. Everyone was hard pressed to remember when they had shared a meal.

"So, who are they?" Jenny said as she ran a comb through her hair.

"I am not really clear on that, either," said Gabe.

"You had enough time to take a shower," asked Adam noticing Jenny's wet hair.

"I slipped into a guest cabin. I figured it was a good place as any to hide," she answered pulling her hair back into a bun and asked, "Why are we taking order from them?"

"They are the ones with the guns, dear," said Gabe flinching as Judy cleaned his head wound.

"I hate Alliance wankers," said Judy throwing a bloody sponge into a pot sitting on the deck.

"We work for the Alliance, maybe not the gun toting, purple belly psychopaths, but still the station is owned by the Alliance," Adam announced pointing to his badge on his jumpsuit.

Everyone looked at Adam at that point and laughed. Not at what the man had said, but at the sight of him wearing a uniform 4 sizes to big. It looked as if he had worn a blanket to the meeting. Despite the laughter he poked Judy's chest where the Alliance command patch was sewn on to her uniform.

"Oh, if I only knew you liked a girl in uniform."

"Bizui," demanded the captain.

"I never understood why the Alliance wanted a communication station this far from the Core. They seem to be heading out further and further every year. They even have a base on Greenleaf."

Judy let out a stream of profanity in Chinese under her breath.

"Attention!" ordered the captain, looking over to the hatchway.

Everyone stood from the table as the Alliance soldiers and their commander marched into the already crowded dining room.

"Relax and take a seat," stated the man in black, removing his gloves and walking over to the large urn placing his palm upon the metal surface. He checked the temperature of the water before pouring a cup. The Starlight's crew sat and seemed to relax.

"Captain Wilson, is this your entire crew?" he asked, pouring a little tea into a strainer and dropping it into the water.

"Yeah, they are all present and accounted for," answered the captain, he smiled thinking of the port side thruster.

"You can take a seat with them," he answered waving his hand and motioning the captain to sit down.

Captain Rod noted the irony of the command and found room at the table.

"Everyone can address me as Mr. Black. It is not my name but it will do. I was never here. We will be your guests for a few days. No record of our presence will be noted in any log. You will be taking a day or two off from duty. We will be running some battle simulations for the next few days. You will hear things that you might want to ask questions about. Don't. You will see things that you might want to remember. Don't! We were never here, understood?" He stopped and stirred his tea.

Everyone shrugged and shook their heads.

Mr. Black sipped his tea and set in on the counter next to the urn. He then pulled his glove back over his hand and looked at the tips of his fingers.

"Aye, aye, sir," answered Adam clearing his throat and looking about the table at his mates.

One by one they answered.

Judy raised her hand and asked, "Sir?"

Mr. Black pointed at the large woman, "Yes, who are you?"

"Judy Riley, Food service tech. Will we be restricted to a part of the station? I ask because there isn't another working kitchen on board."

"Understandable. Everyone is restricted to this deck and within fifty meters of this room," said Mr. Black.

"It sounds like you are going to seal us in," said Gabe out of turn.

Captain Rod shot Gabe a warning look. Telling him to set there and shut up. Gabe did so.

"I was thinking of shooting anyone outside the aforementioned area, but we could seal you in if you prefer," he said looking over to a soldier with Master Chief Stripes and nodded.

"Aye sir," answered the Master Chief turning and moved out into the hall in turn motioning and giving orders to the other solders.

"Okay, Captain Wilson. You will have an hour to have your crew get everything that they will need and get back here. Is an hour enough time?"

"Yes, sir, plenty of time and thank you sir," the captain answered almost joyfully.

"For the amount of time?" asked Mr. Black.

"No, for not sending us out an airlock," answered Captain Rod.

Gabe stood up from the table and started for the hatch. "Was that really an option?" he asked, turning back to the group.

Judy slapped Gabe in back of the head on their way out the hatch, causing him to whine once again.

"Captain Wilson, please stay for a moment," said Mr. Black.

"Yes, sir."

The two men watched the crew and the solders filter out of the small dining room and into the corridor.

"I did some checking, and your qualifications for being captain are lacking..."

The captain interrupted Mr. Black's labored pause, "Non-existent, for the most part, sir."

"Exactly what I was thinking, but for thirteen months the station has run without one report being late, all protocols followed, and the communication relay hasn't gone down once. Other than the staff dressing like they are on vacation on the shores of Ariel, everything seems to have run fine under your command."

"Thank you, sir."

"I wasn't complementing you."

"Sorry, sir?"

"What I am trying to say is, if you follow my orders and don't get in the way, I will make sure you will be noted as captain with full rights and status of the post, but, if you fail to keep the others in line. You won't even get a job cleaning toilets for the Basure! _Dohn ma_?" asked Mr. Black again sounding like a weasel.

"Aye, sir, a great deal is on the line and I will not fail you."

"Make your crew understands that if they fail to stay here they will be spaced and no one in this 'verse will care," said Mr. Black walking away from Captain Rod leaving the man by himself on the Caf-deck.

Captain Wilson sat down for a moment. He reached over to the comm-unit. "Gabe, I need to see you."

Sparks flew from the hatch as the last weld was completed. They looked at one another as if the situation couldn't get any worse.

Adam announced that, "I always said this place reminded me of a tomb."

"I was thinking the same thing," said Jenny as she started back down the corridor in the direction of the Caf-Deck.

"Hey, wait up," yelled Zack.

"Hey, Zack, what happened to you?" asked Adam.

In the excitement no one had noticed his black eye.

"I fell," answered Zack.

"Into my fist," exclaimed freshly showered Marty.

"Really?" asked the astonished Adam.

Everyone laughed until Marty responded with a stern look and stated, "Really!"

The rest of the crew stopped and watched, Marty strolled down the corridor and disappear into the Caf-Deck.

"Okay, everyone, if you haven't found a place to put your head, you better sort it out now. We will be in here for a while."

"Look at you, sounding all captain-y," asked Zack.

"Zack, that man with the gun made him captain," answered Adam.

"You know I could have had that job," said Zack looking put off.

"Yeah, but as I recall you were the one that held the straws," answered Adam.

"Yeah, but no one said it was for a real promotion," whined Zack. With that he grabbed his bunk roll and dragging it off into an open hatch.

Captain Wilson watched as everyone went about settling in. Adam disappeared into his temporary cabin and the others, one by one, found places to bunk. All he could think about was what Adam said. He touched the hatch. It felt warm from the weld.

He turned slowly and whispered one word, "Tomb."

Just then, a boom could be felt as well as heard.

"That was another ship docking. Sounds like we have more uninvited company," yelled Gabe.


	3. Chapter 3

Starlight Chapter 3

By J.D. FarnWorth

All rights belong to that of Joss Whedon, Fox and whoever else would lay claim to the Firefly and Serenity Verse. Don't copy or use this material without the permission of myself AND someone holding the copyright. It is for entertainment use only.

_*Note, when you see **bold lettering**, it indicates that that it is being seen as if from a camera's point of view. It is challenging to show under the confined of the site. I hope that it is not to distracting. I will try to go back and fix chapter one and two, if it wasn't clear that the crew was watching things unfold around them from their point of view. Thanks, again for the insight, and let me know if you get confused again. I am not a comment/feedback whore, but wouldn't mind hearing what you think, send a note or a review either works. Don't worry about the zombies and they will be explained. SO, back to the story… _

Also, if you see a spelling error or any other issue, feel free to send me a note as many have in the past week. I will update with corrections so future readers will enjoy the story more and more. You can friend me on Facebook and follow me here. Search for Serenity Lost chapter one and you should find me easy enough. Also if you do have a Facebook account please Share my links with your friends. In the end it is all about keeping the verse alive.

Starlight station, Module one, Deck 3, July 12th, 2504, 12:31

Up until a few hours ago, Starlight had felt like home. Now the station felt more like a prison. Air passed through the vents as it always had, but the freedom to walk the emptiness was gone.

Zack sat against the freshly welded door listening to the sound of boots hitting the deck. He felt closed in, more so than anyone else, he also had answered an advertisement and left a past behind. It had taken him days to talk his twin brother into the spacer's life.

_They had grown up on Regina, a mining world. Where their father had staked a claim and became wealthy compared to the poor folk living in tents just down the road from their home._

_When his mother was pregnant, she became sick with what was later called, Bowden's Malady. It is a degenerative disease that affects the muscles and organs of its victims. It didn't matter that she had never been in the mine. She was stricken just the same._

_When they were born, they suffered from the same aliment. He ended up with chronic bronchitis that is mostly controlled with an expensive medication called Pascaline. His brother wasn't so fortunate, stunted growth showed more and more as the years went on. Halfling, Space Dwarf, Minor Shrimp were just a few of the names called out by the groups of children that teased his brother._

_After ten years of suffering, their mother died and their father lost all hope and reason. The man they called father lifted them into an iron trolley and pushed the boys deep into the mine. They had always wanted to go see the mine that brought their family so much wealth. It should have been a great occasion, but at the end of the line they saw their mother's body under her imported thousand count sheet set. Before they could even scream their father pushed down on the plunger with both hands. With a violent rumble, he dropped the ceiling on his family, killing him instantly._

_If it wasn't for his brother's small size, they would have had little chance. Marty climbed to the surface to find help. Days went by before Zack was freed. He had been alone in the dark with what was left of his mother and father._

Zack slammed his head against the freshly welded door, again and again. Starlight was a safe haven, but now he was trapped once more.

The crew gathered around the large table in the Caf-Deck. Everyone looked to the captain for what to do next.

"Adam, do you have your EC unit?" asked the captain, pulling at his fresh uniform.

"Sure," answered Adam, pulling it from its holster and warming it up. The screen lit up and an Alliance symbol formed.

"Give it to Gabe, and everyone else, lets relax and play some poker, and maybe have a snack," said the captain, sounding a little like he was unsure of what to do next.

Judy moved away from Gabe and onto the business side of the counter, saying cheerfully, "I am sure I can whip up something."

Gabe took the Electronic Clipboard from Adam and logged into the device.

"That isn't going to get me bound, is it?" asked Adam, looking confused.

"No, but, you might get to make your first space walk," answered Gabe, jokingly. He looked over to the captain's facial expression and refrained from laughing further. Without another word Gabe headed off to his cabin.

The captain reflected, "I think I am starting to get the hang of the evil look."

"Oh, Cap! You have always looked evil," said Judy looking around the room for support.

Everyone laughed in the Caf-Deck as they relaxed for the first time since their uninvited guest had arrived. Judy rattled the pots around and started to prepare lunch for her captive audience.

Jenny appeared through the open hatch, asking. "What is so funny?"

"Judy was just telling us a joke, so we laughed. You know that the microphones on this deck have been malfunctioning for the last hour or so and if anyone is watching they might be a little more relaxed if we just seemed to be a happy go lucky crew," stated the captain, once again trying out his evil look.

"So, Gabe fixed, well, rather broke all of the cams or just this one?" asked Adam, smiling, trying not to look directly into the camera or at the captain who looked like he had a facial twitch.

"There are three, one here, one in the corridor and one in the storage room. The have eyes on us, but no ears. So, if they see us sneaking around, they might start to think we are up to something," answered the captain, slapping the table and laughing like a mad hatter.

"And, are we sir, up to something, sir?" Adam asked, as he also laughed at the captain's antics.

"Yes, that is the point of the laughter. Now does anyone know any jokes?" asked the captain. "Or am I going to have to use my evil look as well as my evil laugh." He looked around the room at his crew with one eye closed and the other rolled back in his skull.

Everyone chuckled including Adam. He was sure he was laughing for an entirely different reason and wondered if a strange gas had been pumped into the deck.

Someone tapped on the wall and the captain started towards the hatch.

"Not without me," yelled Adam, standing as soon as he saw the captain rise from the table.

"Are you sure you want to follow me?" asked the captain.

"No, but I want to know what is going on and why Gabe took my EC unit."

"Very well, follow me and Judy you might want to put a hold on lunch," said the captain.

"That was what I was thinking, Cap," she answered heading over to the table to play some poker.

They entered the cabin and Gabe was nowhere to be found. The room already looked like the command center. It had debris on the floor and clothing spread from one side of the room to the other.

"Gabe, you in here?" ask the captain.

"Yeah, I'm in the head, come in," he answered, sounding muffled from the closed hatch.

"Hmm," Adam muttered, looking towards the door nervously.

The captain pulled at the latch and door popped open. He looked back at Adam for support. He decided he would run if Adam took flight.

Gabe had been very busy setting up his equipment in the cramped compartment. He had taped three monitors to the railing, pulled in a power supply from the cabin and even mounted the EC unit on the sink.

Gabe frantically typed on the keyboard linking each monitor to the station's Prowler system.

"So, what are you up to?" asked Adam.

"We are finding out what those Moon-brains are up to," answered the captain.

"Can we get caught? I believe someone mentioned a space walk with suit optional?" Adam asked, nervously looking at the large man in the tiny room.

"We won't get caught. These monitors are cloned to the three monitors on the control console. They only think that they are running things. I know my system better than anyone else. That is why I asked who was going to be running my station in the control room. The man they have up there has no idea what he is doing with the system that is in place on Starlight, it is a station computer as well as an interactive gaming computer," answered Gabe.

"So what does that give us?" asked Adam, waving his hand about. "I am just trying to catch up with the disobedience."

"Well, if you were up there, wouldn't you be interested in what is going on and focus on the main events with the only three working monitors?" answered Gabe, pausing and looking up at the monitor.

"Yes, but..." answered Adam, stopping to watch as he noticed the image flicker back and forth.

**_The center monitor flashed to the hallway and then back to the Caf-Deck. The Prowler program identified each crew member in the Caf-deck and even Zack sitting alone at the end of the corridor._**

"They are looking for someone," stated Gabe, looking to the captain.

"Me? You think they are wondering if I'm up to something." The captain looking almost hurt by the mere thought.

"Well, aren't you up to something, Cap?" asked Adam.

"Well, yeah, but they don't know that!" Rod leaned back into the head to get a better look at the monitors.

"You might want to slip back to the group. We will keep you posted," stated Gabe, continuing to tap commands on the keyboard of the EC.

The captain waited at the open hatchway leading to the corridor, "Let me know when they are looking back at the Caf-Deck and I will time my entrance."

"Good idea, be ready," answered Gabe raising his hand up and dropping it to signal the captain.

**_Up on the monitor, the view switched from the Caf-deck to the corridor. The captain appeared in mid stride walking down the hallway. The Prowler system identified him and followed him into the Caf-Deck. The Prowler program held and framed the captain relaxing at the table._**

Adam and Gabe watched for a few seconds before focusing on the right monitor.

"Where's that?" asked Adam, pointing with his out stretched hand.

"That is where Marty and Zack fought, earlier," answered Gabe, slapping his balled up fist into his hand.

"And where is this other monitor focusing?" asked Adam, leaning closer to Gabe to get a better look.

"One of the lower docking bays. Not far from Reception," answered Gabe, leaning a bit closer to the monitor.

**_On the monitor, they could see men moving light cargo from a vessel and walking out of view. They were dressed as orderlies from a Core Hospital. Light blue, with white skull caps, other than that, they heralded no other information of their purpose or where they had come from._**

"They work quickly, that is in Modular 4, where just this morning the captain 'fixed' the gravity. They must have a good engineer. Can you zoom in on that Cargo door?" asked Adam, pointing to the edge of the screen and a small tag mounted on the vessel.

"Yes, but if they change the cameras even the _shee-niou _they got at my station would be able to detect our tampering," answered Gabe, pulling his fat finger across his neck.

"Do it and jump back out," ordered Adam.

**_The camera moved in close enough to see the ship's identification tag; 'The Betty, Firefly Class'._**

"Now back out!" barked Adam.

**_The screen flickered once and jumped back to its previous magnification. On the screen, an orderly walked back up the ramp presumably to retrieve more cargo._**

Adam look on as Gabe continued to enter code into the Electronic Clipboard.

"I think we are okay," said Gabe.

"Okay, what are they doing with a transport vessel?" asked Adam, moving away from the opened Hatch and closer to the bunks. He glanced at the lower and noted that it looked slept in even though this wasn't Gabe assigned cabin.

"Ship that size could carry almost anything. It might even be armed to the teeth. If I had full use of the computer, I could figure out what kind of Firefly we are talking about." Gabe leaned back and relaxed on the only stool in the little room.

Adam mulled it over and said, "I would guess it is the an ex-military, it's markings are..."

"_Wuh duh ma huh tah duh fong kwong huh wai shung_!Bodies!" Gabe interrupted Adam's thought and pointed to the monitor.

Adam ran back almost sitting on Gabe's lap exclaiming, "What?"

"Bodies! I see dead people!" shouted Gabe.

**_On the center monitor, the orderlies pushed what looked to be bodies under white sheets down the cargo ramp of the Firefly and onto the loading dock, pausing to confer with another older man in glasses before pushing the gurneys off camera completely._**

"Maybe some kind of cover up?" asked Gabe.

He was known by everyone on the station to be a conspiracy theorist. This time he might be right. It was a thought that worried Adam, not the fact that there were bodies being wheeled onto the deck of the Starlight, but the fact that Gabe might be right.

"Maybe," whispered Adam, feeling a lump forming in his throat.

**_The center screen flickered as the one of the casino cams auto focused on the banks of gaming machines, then panned out to show the whole casino, where gurneys lined up with a whole row of one armed bandits._**

"What in the hell?" whispered Gabe, sounding like he was going to hyperventilate, as he took shorter and shorter breaths.

**_The right screen changed to a view of the other end of the casino._**

**_The left moved to an open station view that contained nine images of different points of view of the station. Each image changed as the operator updated the desired camera angles._**

**_With a squelch, a channel opened. Mr. Black filled the top right image._**

**_"Doctor Ryan, How many more?" asked Mr. Black._**

**_The scientist looking fellow wearing a white lab coat and dark glasses filled the top left frame of the multi-camera view, answered, "We have just three more and then we can begin." The image panned out and he moved from body to body, examining each subject._**

Adam leaned back from Gabe asking, "Begin what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," answered Gabe, not taking his eyes from the action unfolding in front of him.

"I am going to inform the captain and see what he thinks," said Adam, pausing at the hatch as he had watched the captain do a few minutes before.

"It should be safe, I think that they're more interested in what is going on in the casino," Gabe answered, giving Adam the signal as he had the captain.

Adam disappeared into the corridor leaving Gabe with his equipment. Gabe reached out and pulled the hatch closed, letting out an evil laugh and saying, "After all it is a head."

*Note, I see dead People. My Zombies aren't going to eat anyone. There might be a deaths. Next time one, Starlight, will Gabe's smell drive everyone to a life of Reaving... Wait That doesn't happen for like 5 years... Nope, they are not, Reavers. Good guess.


	4. Chapter 4

Starlight Chapter 4

By J.D. FarnWorth

(071411) All rights belong to that of Joss Whedon, Fox and whoever else would lay claim to the Firefly and Serenity Verse. Don't copy or use this material without the permission of myself AND someone holding the copyright. It is for entertainment use only.

Starlight station, Module one, Deck 3, July 12th, 2504, 13:12

The crew sat at the table playing poker as Adam entered the Caf-deck. They continued to joke and looked rather happy, at least to the purple bellies observing them from the station's control room. Their conversation, however, was more dark than humorous.

"It is okay, they aren't watching," Adam announced as he walked over and poured hot water into his cup. He then filled the small copper colored basket with coffee and dropped it in letting it brew a bit.

"Good, if I laugh at one more of Marty's jokes, I am liable to volunteer for one of those space walks Commander Black was offering," said Jenny as she nudged Marty with her elbow.

"So, what are they up to?" asked Marty, pulling the cards closer for another deal.

"They have docked a Firefly transport with Blue Sun markings. I believe it is named the Betty. Has anyone heard of her?"

"It's familiar. Oh wait, that is my ex-wife's name," answered the captain, looking around with his crazy eye for a response.

Everyone shook their heads, they didn't get out much and the last supply drop was almost a year ago.

"What else did you see?" asked Judy.

"Captain, you might want to go take a look for yourself," said Adam, looking gravely at the man.

"What!" demanded Judy, standing to her full height and towering over Adam.

Feeling bullied, he answered, "Bodies, maybe 20 or so, they brought them off the Betty and wheeled them into the main casino. They have even repaired the little gravity problem in Modular 4. I wouldn't have thought that they would have been able to repair the busted board. They have a doctor and orderlies doing most of the work. They have gurneys lined up against the gaming machines," answered Adam stopping as he noticed the looks from the crew.

"What, come on? Bai Too'oh?" asked Jenny sounding as though she was on the verge of a breakdown.

Adam noted something else, she had always been a mystery but her eyes relayed something different. She was confident and in control. Her eyes betrayed her bubbly blond exterior. He turned away avoiding her gaze.

"No way!" exclaimed Judy starting for the hatch. "You got to be joking?"

Rod and Marty followed Judy into the corridor leaving Jenny and Adam alone in the Caf-Deck, normally Adam would have been happy to spend time with the beautiful woman. Those eyes, she was hiding something.

"It looks like they turned the floor of the casino into a morgue of sorts," he muttered.

"Well, I am going to have a look," said Jenny, sounding calm and collected. She had dropped the frightened school girl routine.

"Jenny, you might check on Zack. He is looking like he has seen better days," said Adam, he tried not to look directly at her, unfortunately he betrayed something of himself.

"Why me?" asked Jenny, once again more confident.

"You are listed as medic on the crew roaster. Aren't you, sunshine?" asked Adam, watching her make up her mind.

"You would be surprise what little training. I have in that department," she answered, as she headed for the hatch.

"No, I wouldn't," he chuckled, he had no real clue why she was on board other than as a place holder for a crew member without a real purpose. "There is a lot more to you than meets the eye. You are from the Core, but not a colonist, you have formal education and that means you are from money. Training in comp…"

She stopped and turned just before reaching the hatch, her eyes bore through him. He had struck a nerve.

"Company Relations," he said, in the most formal Core Accent he could muster. "Are you a counselor for Blue Sun? Where you sent her to spy on us?" he asked, his mouth scowled. His father was a constable and he had watched him work his craft on his brother and sisters for years. This gave him an edge getting information when he wanted.

She smiled and relaxed, "You got me, I was sent here to down size this operation."

He noted the change and went with his other thought, "To bad, you would have made a great Companion."

Her hand grabbed the frame of the door so hard paint chips fell making the sound of rain. "I know," she answered, sounding soft and less calm than before.

Their moment was gone and her hand slid across the frame and disappeared out of view.

Adam turned from the table towards the counter and looked for the promised food, he understood that he had been let in on her secret. "Great, I was hoping someone started something to eat," he said aloud. He believed she wanted to tell someone, she had enough training in the Companion house to have mentally wrestled with him all day. One of his sisters was a Companion or at least, had been one the last time they talked.

His stomach grumbled, pushing him to look at what could be made rather then that quick snack he had failed to find.

Jenny walked down the corridor where Zack sat like a bag of onions. She could see on his face that he felt pain. His eyes were red and his chin was pushed into the crook of his arm. He looks as if he were holding himself.

"You okay, hon?" she asked in her soft voice.

"Yeah, I just want to be left alone," he groaned, with a little effort.

When she reached him, she sat down leaning against the welded door. She stretched her legs and reached out with her hands to touch her toes. Her back needed a good stretch. With her hands she reached up and looked back meeting the young man's eyes.

"You are sure prudy," said Zack.

"Thank you," she answered. She normally would have met his remark, any remark about her looks with an insult. But she felt he needed more from her.

"You're going to be alright?" she asked, reaching out and drying his eyes with the cuff of her jumpsuit pulled over her hand.

"I don't like closed in places," he whispered.

"You mean you're claustrophobic? Why in the hell would you want to be a spacer?" she exclaimed.

He motioned with his hand to keep it down. "I only wanted to be a spacer to get my brother off Regina; he would be dead by now if we hadn't sold everything and bought two tickets to Persephone. We got ourselves into environmental engineering school. Most of our credits went to the school."

"Still, why did you become a spacer?" she asked, smiling at his pain.

"By the time, I found out about the claustrophobia, I was already a crew member on the Basure, When Rod and Marty were offered the Starlight assignment. I tagged along. I figured a nice empty space station was as good as it would get for guy like me. Until they sealed us in here," he answered, popping his head back and hitting the door.

It was then she noticed the little red spot on the door frame. "You need to come to my cabin and let me look at that head of yours," she said standing and holding her hand out.

Finding the courage, or maybe he just thought he had a shot at the hottest girl in town; he reached out and stood up. She placed her arm around him and walked him to her cabin. She could feel warm liquid on the back of his uniform. He was bleeding and would need stitches. She wasn't good at stitches, but would give it a go, after all she was the only medic they had.

"I will get you all fixed up."

The head in Gabe's cabin was crowded but half of the crew pushed their way in anyway. It smelled and they gave Gabe strange looks.

"I should have put the monitors out in the cabin," said Gabe, looking rather embarrassed at the stench he had just created.

"Yeah, why did you put them in the head anyway?" asked Judy, leaning over the captain.

"Ah, I was trying to hide them," Gabe said, snapping back.

"Well then, you better pull them out into the cabin because I don't think anyone is looking to come in here," said Marty who had pressed between Gabe and the sink.

"I will later, for now you guys better see this," answered Gabe, pointing to a man in the docking area. "He has been inserting something into bodies."

_**With the loading ramp of the Firefly as a back drop the monitor zoomed in on an orderly who leaned over one of the corpses and drew a mark on the poor fellow's leg.**_

"What are they doing to those poor colonists?" asked Judy, leaning over the captain to get a better look.

"I want to go home," complained Marty, leaving the group and heading to his cabin.

_**Without complaint from the corpse, the man in the lab coat shot a gun looking instrument into the womand knee, injecting a large black dot. He looked up at the camera, asking, "How does it look?" **_

"_**It looks fine," answered the doctor. **_

_**Mr. Black appeared on the main screen and asked, "Okay, how long will it take to get them up?" **_

"_**Not long, the paralytic is wearing off," answered the doctor. **_

_**The crew of the Starlight watched the center monitor as it shifted to the wide angle view of the twenty corpses. Judy gasped as the corpses came back to life, one after the other, they stirred under the sheets. **_

"What the hell!" exclaimed Gabe!

They turned to Gabe and back to the monitors.

The doctor turned from the camera and asked, "How are they feeling?"

"Heart rates are okay, most are in the normal range," answered the orderly, from somewhere out of camera range.

Gabe pointed at the multi-camera monitor and you could just make out the image of the orderly the doctor was speaking with.

The Starlight crew stood motionless. Judy found herself holding onto the captain as they watched the bodies continue to stir under the sheets.

_**One by one the sheets fell to the floor and the men and the women still dressed in the civilian clothes began to sit up. Their faces were emotionless. **_

The Starlight crew watched as the people rose from the gurneys and stood up. They all looked to be colonist. They could have been friends and families of most of the crew.

"Zombies?" Gabe muttered the question.

"No, dumbass, zombies don't have heart rates," answered Judy.

"No such thing as zombies," stated the captain, going to one knee from the weight of Judy pushing down upon his shoulders.

"So they have heart rates and they aren't undead, what are they?" asked Gabe.

_**Up on the monitors the scientist ran them through several drills, starting with the use of a broom. Ten or so stood at one end of the casino and then slowly walked toward the other end sweeping the floor, pushing the purple wall hangings and banners along with the other debris.**_

"Zombies that clean up after themselves?" responded Judy, almost in laughter.

"Look! That one is cleaning your favorite poker machine," said Gabe, slapping his leg and looking over at Judy.

It was the same machine Judy played and the one she sat at just this morning harassing Adam.

"I may never play video poker again," she said, as she answered his laughter with a deadly stare she reserved for the Airlock Inn back home in Freemont. It made most drunkards shy away.

"Why are they forcing them to do this?" asked Gabe, feeling the need to change the subject, from the poker machines back to the walking dead.

"They're us." answered the captain.

"What are you talking about?" asked Gabe.

"Inject anyone with whatever that stuff was and they have a crew that will do whatever they want," the captain answered, dropping to his second knee and only remaining upright from sure will.

"Mind control," whispered Judy.

"But! What would a bunch of people walking around like, for the lack of a better word, zombies, do?" Gabe asked.

"Well for starters, if there was an environmental breach they could still have people to fix a problem," answered the captain.

"Nope, they still breathe," answered Judy, stepping back from the captain.

"Then what?" asked Gabe.

"They probably work for a common goal until the task is done or they are dead," answered the captain, rising to his feet and forcing his way back into the main cabin.

"That would make them slave labor," said Judy mournfully.

They turned at the sound of Adam clearing his throat in the open hatchway, wearing an apron that was three sizes to big. He smiled announcing, "Lunch is on the table."

"Hey! That's my job," complained Judy, laughing as she moved passed him. She couldn't help herself from slapping him on the rump. When she slipped into the corridor the smile dropped from her face as she thought of the implication of what she had just witnessed.

The captain and Gabe watched the monitors as things unfolded. They could hear the crew in the Caf-deck enjoying their lunch, which was a great contrast to the images of the colonist.

_**Mr. Black filled the left monitor, looking as charming as ever, asking, "Doctor Ryan, how long are you going to have them walking around like half drunken spacers?" **_

"_**I am working on it. The computer is having a little trouble controlling so many subjects," said Dr. Ryan, whose image now filled the right side monitor. **_

"_**You promised me that you could control 50 units, with the Walker programming," stated Mr. Black.**_

"_**I know what I said, it will just take a little while to get them running correctly. The subjects are fighting the wetware**__**that I installed just this morning. As the wetware comes online the body's nerve endings will forget the old path ways and respond to my programming," answered Dr. Ryan, who while speaking with Mr. Black took the time to remove his glasses and clean them.**_

"_**I really don't care how you do it, just get it done," ordered Mr. Black turning and moving out of view of the monitor.**_

"_**Yes, Commander," answered Dr. Ryan, he turned away from the monitor and called for his assistant. "Peter, get in here."**_

"_**Sir?" answered Peter.**_

"_**Oh, I thought you had left," said Dr. Ryan.**_

"_**No, sir, what is it, doctor?" asked Peter moving with in the view of the monitor.**_

"_**Have the soldiers readied; tell them that they will need only their stun sticks."**_

"_**Yes, sir." **_

"_**Oh, and Peter, tell the men to go easy on the subjects, at least with the first few trials," ordered Dr. Ryan, turning his attention back to the camera.**_

_**Mr. Black filled the main monitor once again. "Doctor, how much longer?" he asked, who by the tone in his voice had found his patience once more.**_

"_**Give me just a few minutes and we can get started," answered Dr. Ryan.**_

Gabe leaned back from the monitor and looked around, asking, "What, what are you going to do to these people, now?" He grabbed the center monitor and shook the image of Mr. Black.

"Some sort of test," whispered the captain.

"Yeah, but I can't make out what sort of test. There is a lot of traffic coming and going from the Betty and at the top of the screen you can just make out the guardsmen and I think they are getting ready for a fight."

"They're not coming here are they?" asked Jenny as she entered the cabin.

"No, we would hear them cutting through the door long before that and besides why would they seal us in here if they were just going to send someone into kill us? The people aren't dead, they were just sleeping, but the doctor installed wetware or something to control them, making them some sort of human slave labor. Other than that we have no idea what they are up to," answered the captain now out of breath from the long update.

"I am sure their plan will unfold soon enough. Now go get some food, while I keep watch for a while," she said with force and pointed towards the door.

"Sounds good, just don't touch anything," answered Gabe, pushing himself through the hatch.

"And call me if anything happens," said the captain, following Gabe as he waddled out into the corridor.

"Will do," Jenny said, making herself at home and taking the only seat in the head. Little Jenny, exercising most days as if she were running from someone, the truth was she was running from herself, more precisely her thoughts. She closed her eyes and just made out her father's face.

_She was very young when she left her home planet of Londinium for Sihnon. She had been chosen to spend a life as a Companion. He father's idea of a status boost that would have worked if he had lived to watch her graduate._

_When she left for New Melbourne only her mother came to see her off. They held each other briefly and only spoke a minimal amount of words. Her mother disappeared into the crowded and she walked up into the passenger ship. _

_As part of her training she was directed to spend a full year in an off-world Companion House. She hadn't minded putting the distance between her and her family. She had thought a year would be to short and she knew one day she would be forced to return to her family and the company. _

_Her training house had selected her to work out of the Red Dragon on New Melbourne. It was a resort for the rich tourist from the Core that wanted to go somewhere exotic. Border planets were less crowed and the help were ordered around like slaves and very disposable._

_Her status as a Companion training was almost complete by the time the New Year rolled around. Her last client was just about to take his leave to join the celebration of the passing of another year. _

_Earth was still out there, somewhere in the distant expanse of space, and once a year people gathered to celebrate another of Earth's trips around Sol. _

_She heard the gun fire and the shouts of anger. She hid in her armoire pulling her expensive gowns over her head. The men entered the House and started killing Companions and clients alike. They were dressed in black and used weighted pipes to kill everyone that they came upon. _

_She flinched as one of the men screamed, "Whore!" and killed her servant girl within a few feet of her hiding place. She watched through a crack in the door as the man pulled the heavy pipe from Jenny's skull, where he had imbedded it with a single blow. _

_Cecilla closed her eyes, falling into mediation. Like music on the wind, she escaped the Red Dragon's Companion house before it was her turn. When she awoke, some time had passed and no noise could be heard. Total silence, telling her it was early morning and it was finished. Her friends lay dead, their servants lay dead and all evidence of the clients were gone, removed by someone unknown. _

_Cecilla quietly walked about the House as a ballerina might; with precession and practice. She gathered her things quietly and moved to her servant's body. Where her face once was there was nothingness, the man had seen to that. She had never given much thought into the life of her servant. _

_She calmly dressed Jenny in her purple formal gown; befitting the little princess that lay at the foot of her hiding place. She had died for her._

_She would take her identity, she would never be known as Cecilla again, she would become Jenny Horn a simple resort servant. The thought woke her up from the shock and a new plan formed. _

_She pulled the cash from her hiding place under the stairs, then from each of the other Companions that lay quietly throughout the house. They all knew were the credits were hidden. All the stashes were there but except for the new red head's. "What was her name?" she asked aloud. "Well, it couldn't have been much?" She looked around at the unidentifiable bodies and decided it wasn't important._

_The credits that she found would buy her way off planet and into another life, away in the black._

_Cecilla felt trapped, again. _


	5. Chapter 5

Starlight Chapter 5

By J.D. FarnWorth

(072211) All rights belong to that of Joss Whedon, Fox and whoever else would lay claim to the Firefly and Serenity Verse. Don't copy or use this material without the permission of myself AND someone holding the copyright. It is for entertainment use only.

Starlight station, Module one, Deck 3, July 12th, 2504, 14:03

The Caf-Deck was strangely quiet. If it wasn't for the sound of the occasional spoon to bowl, there would be no sound at all. The crew with their heads hung low sipped their soup and drank of their tea.

Gabe raised his bowl and slurped its remains. He had never cared about what people had thought of him. After all was said and done, they were just passing through.

_**Gabe**__**'s story was like many others, he left the planets of the Core because he was tired of floundering in a pond full of sharks. He bought a ticket on a passenger star-cruiser out of Osiris to Persephone.**_

_**He enjoyed peace**__**, for once, on that beautiful planet. It was industrialized, yet kept that friendly feeling, until he had a run in with a small man with an accent.**_

_**From Persephone he boarded a Firefly and worked his way to the Vegas sector and then Starlight. They needed their communication system rewired and he needed the ride.**_

_**He had always been a gambler and **__**had earned money doing so, but on the Starlight he made his mark. He found his riches in the casino, and his love in a night club. Veronica, she was an artist when it came to dancing and an artist at taking him for his wealth. By the time she was finish he had nothing. **_

_**He of**__**ten wondered if it was all some sort of plan; she took his credits and the casino just happened have an opening for a communication officer. **_

_**That was almost ten years, and over 50 kg ago. Since his arrival he hadn't stepped foot off this station and he was sure he never would. He looked around the table as he always did and told himself, "Yeah, this bunch is just passing through." **_

"Excuse me," Gabe said, clearing his throat and motioning for the rest of the soup. No one complained and he poured the remains of the soup into his bowl.

"Anything going on, in there?" Judy had only asked what was on everyone's mind. This fact was made clear when everyone leaned in closer to listen.

"They seem to be setting up for some kind of action, the guardsmen are wearing riot gear," he answered. Lifting the serving bowl above his and tapping to get the last drop. He adjusted his girth and dug his spoon into his second helping.

"You, you think they are going to come after us?" asked Judy, sounding a bit unsure of herself. The rest of the crew looked on not willing to admit that they were also scared.

"No, tight pants came up with that too. If they wanted to kill us they wouldn't have welded us into this corridor," he answered, with his mouth full of food. A noodle made its escape down his hairy chin and onto his lap.

"Yep, he is right, they just want us out of the way," stated the captain. He watched the noodle fall to the floor; he glanced up meeting Gabe's smile.

"But for what, captain?" asked Marty, losing his temper and throwing his empty bowl across the room. He had always been a hot headed little man. The crew seemed to ignore his random out- bursts, everyone, except his brother, who would always pickup after him.

"Hey, get in here, something is happening," yelled Jenny from the cabin. Her voice was a bit emotional as if she had been crying.

They ran from the Caf-Deck and into Gabe's cabin. The monitors were moved in from the head.

"What you go'n do?" Gabe asked.

"I moved them. It was getting uncomfortable sitting on the crapper." She pointed back into the cramped room.

"It was convenient."

"For who?"

"Bizui!" exclaimed Zack, clearing his throat. He hadn't spoken for almost an hour and no one had given it much thought.

They took their seats on the available bunk and the floor. The monitors showed the zombie like men and women walking to the arena.

The arena once the crown of the Starlight held shows from all over the 'verse. Rock stars and Bards alike came to perform for audiences of the _uber_ rich.

"So the guardsmen are over by the stage and the zombies are entering the ramp. Wait, they are going to fight?" asked Jenny, looking round the room at the knowing faces. "You knew!"

"No, not for sure, but it did cross my mind. I have seen the Alliance do many things for progress and the good of the common. Things you wouldn't do to a farm animal," answered Adam.

"But why?" asked Jenny, sounding, as though, she was becoming disillusioned about her belief's.

"They can, and they will, do what they want for the whim of the powers that be," laughed Gabe, sounding cynical, even for him.

"Where did you hear that?" asked Adam.

"That show I watch, the Rufflesteins, they got a little too political and the Alliance canceled them. They would have run for seasons but NOOOO!"

"But that's just a show, they won't fight them," Jenny whispered, looking back to the monitor, and not believing in what she was both saying and seeing.

"Yeah, well they did mention something about stun sticks," said Adam sitting next to Jenny.

"So, they aren't planning on kill'n the zombies," announced Judy, making an awkward expression as she made the statement.

"Okay, everyone lets stop calling them zombies," demanded Adam, holding his hands up to get everyone's attention.

"What do you want us to call them?" asked Judy, looking around the room at each of the crew.

"Guests, yeah, no, we should call them visitors," answered Zack, sounding a little too happy. His eyes were a little too red and his head was damp with sweat.

"Okay, I see where you are going with that and we can call the guardsmen the visitors and the zombies are home team," stated the captain.

They sat there for a few minutes watching the sides ready themselves.

"I have 10 credits on the home team," laughed Zack.

"You okay," whispered Jenny, she had given him a bottle of sedatives to calm him, but she had the feeling he taken way too many.

"What, you think the underdogs are going to take on the guardsmen?" asked Adam.

"I will take that bet, I got ten on the purple bellies," answered Marty.

"Zombies always win."

Everyone looked back to Zack and noticed his blood shot eyes, his sweaty looks, and the nervousness.

He smiled.

Starlight station, Module two, Casino Floor, July 12th, 2504, 14:21

In the arena the guardsman watched as the Walkers came in from the opposite end of the large room.

"Master Chief, they can barely walk let alone, fight. How are they going to have a chance against us?" asked Jackson.

"They're not going to put up much a fight," answered the Master Chief, looking up to the camera and monitor mounted on the wall as the channel clears with a crackle.

_**D**__**r. Ryan's image appeared in the monitor and he waited for the channel to clear. "Be extra careful not to kill my test subjects."**_

The Master Chief glanced over Jackson and nodded, telling him that no one believed the Walkers stood a chance.

Hanson leaned over to the Master Chief, asking, "Why are we so concerned about not killin' them."

"_**They're **__**programming is not meant to be used in this way," answered Dr. Ryan. **_

"Yes, doctor," answered the Master Chief, glaring over at Hanson. He had been with these men since he recruited them out of the ranks of the Alliance's many services. Each had their abilities, but their closeness made them talk when they should listen.

"_**My computer program is an AI adaptive game program. It will learn as we teach it, but if you kill the Walkers before it learns how to fight, at the end of the day, it wil**__**l have learned nothing. Dohn ma?" asked Dr. Ryan.**_

"So what are we supposed to do, just push them around," asked Hanson, sarcastically.

"_**Yes, that would be alright**__**." He hadn't recognized the sarcasm. He nodded to some one off camera and looked closer at the monitor, until his image became mostly forehead from the soldier's point of view.**_

As if someone had simply thrown a switch the men and women started toward the soldiers. They stepped, shuffling their feet at first, as they walked they gained strength and moved more naturally.

"Okay, here they come," said the Master Chief, casually.

The soldiers stood and readied their stun sticks; the smell of Ozone permeated the arena.

As the soldiers zoned out all distractions other than the advancing horde of Walkers, Dr. Ryan's voice was heard saying, "Okay, let's not hurt them."

Starlight station, Module one, Deck 1, July 12th, 2504, 14:32

Mr. Black and Mr. Blue stood in the freshly cleaned command center. The Petty Officer had seen to the clearing of the food containers and grime himself. It sickened him the lack of maintenance that the station had since the border outcasts had taken over, every system had been neglected.

The monitor flickered and Mr. Black walked over and tapped it on the side asking, "Why is the image so fuzzy?"

"Weak signal sir," answered Mr. Blue, he turned back to his control board and adjusted the signal again with no change to the image.

"Try to get me a better one," he ordered, walking over to look at the action on the larger monitor.

_**The **__**Walkers approached the line of guardsmen. Just as they were within striking range and they surprised everyone by backing away. Then three of them turned and charged the group of guardsmen. They were brought down quickly, each earning a set of cuffs for their trouble. **_

"What was that?" yelled Mr. Black, his anger overwhelmed his patience.

_**The W**__**alkers mulled around a while before trying again. This time, six walkers sprinted across the room and ran face first into denial. The guardsmen stood in a half circle and defended their position. They dropped the attacking men and cuffed them to each other. **_

"_**Turn those Walkers down so they stop struggling against their restraints," ordered Dr. Ryan over an open channel. **_

"_**Sure thing," answered an orderly. **_

"_**Okay, here come the rest,**__**" said Dr. Ryan nonchalantly. **_

_**Ten Walkers ran at the **__**guardsman and matched blows, neither side making any headway. The Walkers moved away, back to their starting position on the ramp. **_

"What are they doing? Tell the doctors, I want one of their asses up here to tell me what is going on, gorram it"

"Wait, I only count ten, sir," answered Mr. Blue pointing to the group of remaining Walkers.

"What are you talking about?" asked Mr. Black.

"There are nine on the ground and ten standing. The AI isn't finished, there they go again."

_**The Home team charge**__**d once more into the group of Visitors. They beat back the chargers with ease, cuffing them easily. No one noticed the single Walker coming from behind and hitting the Master Chief in the head with his own stun stick that had been leaning against the back wall. The guardsmen turned to beat the man.**_

"_**Don't!**__** I am sorry, please, for the love of God!" screamed the colonist, as he awoke from the hold of the computer.**_

Back in the cabin the crew of the Starlight watched the man's body grow limp and his face once again lost all expression.

"Hold on! Did you hear that, the zombie, I mean the man was pleading for his life!" exclaimed Jenny, pulling at Adam's baggy ship suit.

On the monitor the guardsmen beat the lump of a man until he stopped moving. The orderly, who had ran to the aid of the Home team member pulled at the soldiers.

On the other monitor, Mr. Black looked on with interest, even smiling as the man died at the extension of his will.

"Why didn't he stop them? All he has to say is stop," yelled Adam.

"They don't care about these people; they are just test subjects," answered the captain.

They stepped away from the test subject, his body jerked and began to reanimate. Rising to the horror of the crew of the Starlight, the man fell back and remain still.

"For a second there I thought we were in a zombie wave," laughed Gabe. Everyone noticed he was just as affected as the rest of them by what they were witnessing.

Back at the stage the orderly checked the man's vitals. The soldiers stood around watching the man bleed to death. They showed no remorse at what they had done. They even laughed as the subject moved.

"Is he dead?" asked Mr. Black.

The orderly glance up and nodded.

"Yeah, your men saw to that," answered Dr. Ryan. He seemed disturbed at what he had just witnessed.

"That is unfortunate, have the body incinerated, at once," said Mr. Black, flatly.

"Why didn't you stop them?" demanded Dr. Ryan, pulling his glasses off his face and leaning into the camera his image again filled the monitor.

"Because, doctor, I wanted to know if they would continue to walk even if they were dead."

"They won't! I told you that, so you just terminated one of my test subjects on a whim!"

"Doctor, if there is a problem; we can just pick off another settler ship or use one of the Starlight's crew. It is not like they are ever going to be missed."

"That is not the point, I only have so many harnesses."

The crew of the Starlight leaned back, each one of them was having their own internal conversation. On the monitors, everyone went about clearing the deck of the wounded and slain.

Jenny broke the silence, "They are more concerned with the equipment than us. I mean them. I mean..."

The captain touched her on the shoulder and said, "Gabe, please tell me you are getting this."

"Yeah, I have been recording since they revived them in the casino," he answered, patting the EC unit sitting next to him.

"That's what you needed my EC for?" asked Adam.

"Sure, it is just a little security we have just in case they try to bully us around." answered the captain, letting Jenny go as she ran from the cabin.

"They space one of us, all we have to do is upload to the array and bam everyone will know about it," said Gabe, slapping his hands together and waking the rest of the crew from their shock.

"As long as I am not the one that gets spaced, it sounds like a plan," responded Adam, he was joking, but no one was laughing. They crew just stared at the monitors.

"_**Say, can we hoo**__**k into the Starlight's mainframe," asked Dr. Ryan, looking into the camera.**_

"_**Why?**__**" asked Mr. Black.**_

"_**If you noticed, the AI, used a battle strategy and made progress," answered Dr. Ryan.**_

"_**You saying we might be able to get these Walkers running better?" asked Mr. Black.**_

"_**Yes**__**, that is what I am suggesting."**_

The monitors flickered and the captain pulled at Gabe's shoulder. "Gabe, would it work? You know the Starlight's capabilities better than anyone."

"The Starlight isn't a sophisticated computer but it does have the ability to make billions of calculation a second, the only reason they didn't take the gorram thing with them, is the computer takes up half a deck on the bottom level. It is just a gaming computer that acts a server for thousands of mother boards in the video machines."

"So what happens when they hook up to their program?" asked Judy.

"The Walkers will learn to run," answered Gabe.

"Then won't that leave a trace in the Starlight's computer?" asked Adam.

"Oh my," answered Gabe, going over the implications of what they were getting at.

"What are you saying?" asked Judy, rising to stretch her legs.

"They aren't going to let us live," whispered Zack, sounding as _creep-afying_ as ever.

"The Starlight will be a witness and they won't let her survive either. Now, that I think about it. Won't the images and waves be recorded somewhere?" questioned Adam.

"Yep."

"This is our tomb," Adam whispered.

Zack began to giggle.


	6. Chapter 6

Starlight Chapter 6

By J.D. FarnWorth

Thanks for reading, please review. It helps with the self-esteem.

(072911) All rights belong to that of Joss Whedon, Fox and whoever else would lay claim to the Firefly and Serenity Verse. Don't copy or use this material without the permission of myself AND someone holding the Gorram copyright. It is for entertainment use only.

Also, if you see a spelling error or any other issue, feel free to send me a note as many have in the past week. I will update with corrections so future readers will enjoy the story more and more. You can friend me on Facebook and follow me here.

Starlight station, Module one, Deck 3, July 12th, 2504, 15:03

The Starlight's crew had settled into Gabe's cabin, each staking a claim to part of the room. Judy sat close to Gabe on his bunk. Zack and Marty sat on the overhead bunk. Jenny leaned back in the only chair bracing it against the wall. Adam was on the floor in front of the monitors, which was the center of everyone's attention.

"We're all going to die!" Zack exclaimed, pounding his head against the frame of the bunk. He had been watching the colonist wander around the casino like zombies in some _wave _(movie).

"Bizui," responded Marty.

Adam moved from the floor over to Zack and Marty's side of the room. He watched Marty hit Zack several times, but that only made Zack even more agitated. Zack raised his fist and Adam made his move, grabbing the man and pulling him to the floor. Before Zack could respond Adam flipped him over onto his stomach and pressed his knee into the small of his back.

Zack let out a series of _Mudder's_ curses that would have made any spacer blush.

"Zack, I understand you can't help yourself, but you are ruining my calm!" Adam yelled. Rising to his feet, he turned to Jenny and nodded in the direction of Zack.

The captain stuck his head into the cabin and cleared his throat. He waited for everyone to look his direction. "I want to have a meeting in the Caf-Deck."

Judy and Marty headed out into the corridor first, looking relieved. Adam briefly watched Jenny as she knelt over Zack before departing the area. Gabe nodded to the captain with the understanding that he planned to keep watching the monitors.

"Jenny, you and Zack come when you are ready. Gabe, let me know if anything changes," ordered the captain.

"Aye, captain," answered Gabe, turning to the images on the monitors.

The captain could hear that Gabe had almost given up, his spirit had weakened, and he just called him "captain" in a respectful manner.

Everyone sat at the table, tea in front of them. An empty cup sat in front of the seat reserved for the captain. He sat down, placing his hands together as if he was going to pray.

Jenny and Zack wandered in and took their seats. Zack looked as if he'd been crying. Jenny shrugged in the direction of Adam and the captain.

"Okay. So, what do we know?" asked the captain.

"There are zombies on the deck, I…I mean visitors," answered Zack, sounding a little more coherent at the end of his statement.

"And the twenty or so Alliance soldiers," said Adam, obviously trying to give the meeting a little momentum. He looked over to Jenny.

"A few orderlies," answered Jenny, counting them off with her fingers, holding up a count of four.

"That doctor with the glasses, Mr. Black and the two guys he has up there with him," said Judy.

"How many would you say there were on Black's ship?" asked Marty.

"Maybe two, but we can't be certain because we haven't seen any wave footage of Black's ship," answered Adam. He took a drink of his tea; he rolled his tongue wishing he had taken the time to brew some coffee.

"What about the Firefly? How many do you think would be on that bird?"

"Oh, at least five, and I would say no more than ten, but we can't be certain that a few of the orderly's aren't part of the crew," answered Adam.

"So how many does that make?" asked Jenny.

"There are around 40 on the Visitor's side and 26 on the Home team," said the captain.

"Thought there were 20 zombies," said Judy.

"No, nineteen," whispered Zack, in the last few minutes he seemed to have calmed down.

"No, in the end this is a different game, and we are going in on the Home team's side," said the captain, sounding confident.

"So captain, it's 40 to 26, which wouldn't be so bad if we had weapons and could be sure the Home team won't turn on us," stated Adam.

"Yeah, and we have the element of surprise," stated Marty. He noticed everyone looked confused.

"How's that? We are stuck in here like rations in a can." responded Judy, rising to stretch her legs.

"Not exactly, as everyone points out at least once a day, I was an injector cleaner on the Basure," stated the captain, again sounding even more confident. He looked around at the un-enlightened faces. "Does anyone know what an injector cleaner does?"

"Not really," answered Jenny.

"They crawl through the insides of stations injecting cleaning solutions into sewage lines. It's so the lines don't get plugged," he answered, sounding less confident.

"Oh, my, that is a crappy job," Jenny answered with a little laugh.

Everyone struggled with laughter before noting the captain's expression.

"That is why I jumped at the chance to be any engineer on the Starlight. I was trained as an engineer, not a plumber, Damn it!"

"So how does that help us, exactly?" asked Zack.

"Under every Mess and Head there are crawl spaces," answered the captain.

"I was also thinking that I could fit into an air vent, after all that is my job," stated Marty.

"Because he's the size of a _turd_," laughed Zack.

Everyone began laughing along with Zack, including his brother. It was the first normal thing Zack had said in the last 8 hours.

"How big are these exits?" asked Judy, suddenly looking worried.

"Not big enough for you and Gabe, I am afraid," answered the captain. He lowered his head looking into his tea, pausing to think on the problem.

"Then count me out, I can hardly stomach the corridor let alone a _fracking_ vent, or a crapper cave!" yelled Zack, with a renew frustration, jumping to his feet and exited into the corridor.

Adam watched Zack stomp away, he looked to Jenny, who nodded back. "So, any plan will have to include an exit strategy for the three of them."

The captain nodded without raising his head. "Yes, maybe Marty could use the air vent to get around the welded hatches and open them from the other side." He sounded less confident, a fact that was noted by the quick glances amongst the crew.

"As long as there is a cutting torch on the other side of the door," said Marty, nodding in agreement.

"If not, could you bring something up from engineering to do the job?" asked Judy. She moved around the counter, ducking under the bulkhead.

"Yeah, but the air vents don't go there. I would only have access to this module," answered Marty.

"I am not trying to punch holes in the plan, but, we don't have a way of communicating back and forth," stated Jenny, but by her tone it was meant as a question.

"No, we don't," said Judy, pulling a snack from the cooler.

"So, what do we do for communication?" asked Adam, turning to the captain, who had remained quiet for the last few minutes.

"That's why we have a plan that we stick to," answered the captain, looking up to meet the stares of his crew.

"So, Captain what do you have in mind?" asked Jenny.

"We need a distraction."

Gabe reached into his duffle and pulled out a bag of Blue Sun pretzels, saying, "You might be old but you are still good." He was talking about himself, but laughed when he thought about the pretzels. Leaning against the back of the bunk, he buried his meaty hand into the small bag. The image flickered as the man in black appeared on the center monitor.

"_**Doctor Ryan, have you finished loading the Walker prog**__**ram to the Starlight's computer?" asked Mr. Black, showing his renewed calm.**_

"_**Yes, I am just running the diagnostics**__**, and soon we'll be connecting the Walkers. You should be happy with the progress," answered Dr. Ryan, not looking up preferring to work.**_

"_**Let me know when you are ready."**_

"_**Yeah-yeah," answered Dr. Ryan, waving his hand as if he were shooing a child away. **_

_**The main monitor switched to the Caf-Deck. The group sat around the table talking, looking as if they were planning something. **_

Gabe jumped up, stumbling over the trash in the middle of his cabin. "Guys, they're watching!"

_**Judy stood and grabbed Adam, **__**pulling him across the table for an extended kiss. The others laughed and jumped from their positions around the table to root her on. Adam's arms flailed in an attempt to get away from her, to no avail. She pressed him against her. His free arm hit her side over and over.**_

_**The center monitor changed back to the main casino then to the arena.**_

"Okay guys, they are looking the other way!" yelled Gabe, settling back onto the bunk. In the other room he could hear Adam fall to the deck and the few choice words that he used to describe his attacker.

"_**Ah, it i**__**s all for the good of the cause," he yelled, laughing once again at Adam. **_

_**The multi-cam view changed. This time, an image of the corridor and the Caf-deck appeared. **_

"What are you up to?" he asked, as he stood and walked out of the hatch to inform the rest of the crew. Maybe he could get a repeat performance; this time she could kiss him.

_**The Walkers came at the guardsmen fifteen**__** strong, bouncing off the line at full speed. Their reaction time was impressive compared to the last engagement. The remaining four swung around and attempted to out flank the guardsmen who, in turn, were waiting for the attack. **_

"Guys, you might want to get in here," yelled Judy. She had replaced Gabe at the monitors.

Adam appeared at the door, "What's happening?"

"The zomb…," she started to say before simply saying, "They are doing better."

Gabe slipped into the room, taking his seat next to Judy.

_**On**__** the center monitor the Alliance troopers pulled their stun sticks and started to knock back the attackers.**_

"_**Okay, tell them to stop the attack," ordered Dr. Ryan, he sounded frustrated and tired. **_

"_**Doing so now,**__**" answered his orderly, from some where off camera. **_

"_**That was a lot better, Doctor Ryan," stated Mr. Black who sounded very much impressed. **_

"_**Yeah, but it wasn't what I was expecting," said Dr. Ryan, only glancing to the camera. **_

"_**What are you talking about doctor?" asked Mr. Black, he sounded a little nervous, causing his two men in the control room to look over.**_

"_**Something is slowing the AI processors of the gaming program." The doctor paused to make eye contact before turning his attention back to his work.**_

"_**Can you fix it?**__**" asked Mr. Black. **_

"_**No, we'll need to fix it from up there. Tell your man to look for a protocol that doesn't belong. It should stick out." **_

"_**Peter look for the problem. Ryan you should come up here." **_

"_**Aye, sir,**__**" answered Peter.**_

"_**I am on my way,**__**" answered Dr. Ryan. **_

"Gabe, what's going on with the gaming computer?" asked Adam, turning his attention to Gabe.

"I slowed it down."

"How slow?" asked Adam.

"It has trouble counting to twenty-one."

"And why would you do that?" asked Adam.

"So I would win," answered Judy, now smiling in Gabe's direction.

"Yeah," he responded, leaning away from Judy, half expecting to be slapped.

"Well, I think that it is sweet," she said.

"You're not making plans to _corpse-ify _me?" he asked, leaning back to where he started.

"Yeah, well, I was wondering why I was taking the casino for every credit it had," she laughed.

"If only the credits were real," said Adam.

"It was the thought that counted," whispered Judy rubbing her large hand through Gabe's long greasy hair. She moved away and out the hatch to inform the other half of the crew.

"Gabe?" asked Adam, pausing to listen for Judy's footsteps to fade. "What happens when they turn the Starlight's computers up all the way?"

Gabe sat back in his bunk and pulled his hands behind his head for support before answering the question. "Well, it is like this, they started off acting like zombies, with the second attempt they looked like a riotous mob, now I would be willing to wager that they will look more like…"

"Monsters?" asked Adam.

"I was thinking a squad of colonial marines."

"Are they a match against the Alliance guardsmen?"

"I am no soldier, Adam, but I would still bet the guardsman will take them out with the stun sticks, but it might be a better match," answered Gabe.

"Sounds like a good distraction and a great time to make our escape."

"You know they will catch up with the life-boats or worse, use them for target practice," stated Gabe, mournfully.

"That is why we won't be in the life-boats," said Adam.

"Okay, where will we be?" asked the now confused Gabe.

_**The center ch**__**annel went to a close up view of Mr. Black. **_

"_**We have figured it out, and are removing the sub-routines blocking the Starlight's potential. How is Master Chief Thymus?"**_

"_**I am back up, but moving a little slow," answered the scare faced man, who instead of a helmet wore a white bandage. "I got brained pretty good, but I'll heal."**_

"_**That is good. Get your men ready, the walkers should be moving a bit faster."**_

Gabe looked from the monitor and met Adam's eyes, "You have a plan?"

"I'll get back to you, Gabe. I need to see a man about card game."

"A card game?" asked Gabe, now standing to face Adam.

"Yeah, we need to play _Three Card Monte_." Adam smiled at Gabe's facial response.

"We don't have time to play games," said Gabe, chasing him out of the room and into the corridor.

Adam walked out into the corridor and moved to the storage area. Under the watchful eye of Gabe who remained in his hatchway.

_**In a past life**__**, he had been a school teacher. He left the profession when he refused to change history to fit the school board's ideology. **_

_**He missed the**__** young faces of his students. **_

_**H**__**e was threatened with prison just for teaching them about the French Revolution. Someone didn't want him reminding his students that in history, the oppressed had often risen up against their masters. **_

_**He was told he would be free to teach what he wanted on the border planets. His credits ran out short of his goal of living on the edge. Taking a job on this station was as far from the Core as he could get. **_

In the storage room he looked up at the camera then turned the light out. He slid the hatch shut.

"It'll do," he whispered, slipping back down the corridor, to the hatch leading to the Caf-Deck.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

By J.D. FarnWorth

**(080511)****All****rights****belong****to****that****of****Joss****Whedon,****Fox****and****whoever****else****would****lay****claim****to****the****Firefly****and****Serenity****Verse.****Don't****copy****or****use****this****material****without****the****permission****of****myself****AND****someone****holding****the**_**Gorram**_**copyright.****It****is****for****entertainment****use****only.**

Starlight station, Module one, Deck 3, July 12th, 2504, 20:17

Gabe sat in front of the monitors watching everyone ready themselves. He laughed as Judy ran up and down the corridor, blocking the image on the monitor each time she moved in front of the camera. When the main monitor focused on Judy's actions, Gabe yelled out the hatch, "Okay, you got their attention. I hope this works."

Each time she moved down the corridor, someone from the Caf-Deck moved from the table and headed into a cabin, in sight of the camera and the people in the control room.

Marty and Zack walked into Gabe's cabin and sat down. What the image didn't show was that each time she moved in front of the camera, one of the Starlight's crew moved from their cabin back into the Caf-Deck. They stood against the wall and out of view of the camera. To the observer they all seemed to be going to bed except the large woman running up and down the corridor.

"Okay, Marty keep an eye on the monitors, I am going for it," said Gabe moving into the corridor, he was having trouble not hiding his excitement about his part of the plan.

On the monitor, he walked from his cabin into the corridor; to the observer he looked as if he were talking to the jogger. He then motioned her into the storage room.

Marty and Zack watched as his two crewmates kissed and moved into the hatchway. As predicted the camera in the Caf-Deck, which to the observer looked empty, switched to the two lovebirds in the storage room.

"Go for it," shouted Marty.

The escape plan was set in motion.

Zack lifted Marty up to the air vent. The captain, Adam, and Jenny crawled around the counter into the kitchen. They pried off the access panel and slipped into the crawl space.

"We're in!" yelled the captain.

"The Space Dwarf is away!" yelled Zack.

Marty climbed into the vent and disappeared into the small space. He had spent many hours in the Starlight's air vents. He could fix anything and was half the upkeep of a robot. He loved his job, now if the dust wouldn't make him sneeze so much, "Achoo."

The captain crawled ahead and as they passed the storage room, he banged on the floor to let them know they could progress to the third part of the plan.

Judy and Gabe moved from the storage compartment to his cabin. From the point of the view of the observer he was about to get lucky.

They sat on the bunk and watched the main monitor move from a view of the storage room, back to the Caf-deck.

"Okay, you can stop that now," he said, pushing her away, but she moved back closer stroking his hair.

"Oh, come on," complained Zack as he walked out of the room and down the corridor taking his seat next to the welded door to wait for Marty.

"What if I don't want to," Judy purred, unable to control her excitement.

He smiled and responded by kissing her. "We have time," he whispered, moving closer.

She laughed pulling his jumpsuit off his shoulders exposing his hairy back.

**The left monitor switched over to the control room, where Dr. Ryan stood. "The program is ready." **

Judy and Gabe sat up in the bunk to watch the next test.

"**Okay, everyone we are about to start another test. Be careful that they don't hurt you." **

**Black glanced from his monitor over to Dr. Ryan who had taken position in front of the small console. "Doctor my people are well trained and they will be fine." Mr. Black cleared his throat and waited for a ready signal from everyone. **

**The Walkers seem to wake up from a trance as the Starlight's Gaming computer system took charge. The guardsman readied their weapons and the orders were given to stand their ground.**

**The Walkers took two steps forward and to the surprise of everyone turned, and ran away.**

"**What****the****in****the****hell!****" ****exclaimed****Black****turning****from****the****monitor****to****face****the****doctor.**

"What the hell did you do to them?"Judy slid over behind Gabe as he typed out commands on the EC unit. "Did… did you just tell them to run away?"

"No, the AI program is still controlling them. I just informed the gaming computer that the card pits are taking heavy losses."

"What will that do?" asked Judy, sliding her hand down the front of his chest.

"If the computer is being told that the casino is taking heavy loses,"

"It will tighten the odds!" she exclaimed, as she grabbed his nipple between her finger and thumb.

"Crap!" he yelled.

"Don't you mean Craps?" she laughed playfully. "Look, the soldiers are giving chase."

**The guardsman ran from the arena and by the time they reached the casino floor, the Walkers had armed themselves with the brooms left there from the earlier test.**

"**Interesting," announced Dr. Ryan. **

"**What? Are they going to start cleaning again?" asked Black, his face was red, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. **

**Dr. Ryan wore contempt upon his face. "No, that is a different program."**

"**Then what are they doing!"**

"**Wait just a minute. They have armed themselves," answered Dr. Ryan, he could hardly contain his excitement, his joy, as his Walkers formed a phalanx. **

**Mr. Black turned and watched the Walkers pause, waiting for the guardsmen. As his men approached the Walkers ran once again for the exit to the crew section and Module One.**

"**What are they doing now?" asked Mr. Black.**

"**I have no idea; the Starlight's computer makes too many decisions. It is checking and rechecking the odds of success." Dr. Ryan keyed some quick equations into his hand held.**

**The Walkers stopped at the opening to the crew section and waited for the guardsman. They held their brooms out in front in another phalanx defense, bottle necking the guardsmen from entering the crew area.**

"**It's cheating," said Dr. Ryan. **

"**Who is cheating? Ryan, you start making some sort of sense, before I end you."**

"**The Gaming computer, it decides who wins and who loses, it was designed that way, if the casino loses credits, it makes it up somewhere else," answered Dr. Ryan, again looking at his EC unit. **

"**So?" squeaked Mr. Black, who had began to loose his voice. **

"**Well, in a casino the house always wins, even if the computer has to tighten the odds."**

"**SO! Why is it tightening the odds now?" **

"**I have no clue, but the computer is going to win no matter what." **

"**Shut it down!" demanded Black, watching the group of Walkers push out their brooms holding the guardsmen to a stalemate.**

"**Denied!" exclaimed Dr. Ryan.**

"**What did you say to me?" Black's eyes widen and his hand slipped to his pistol.**

"**The computer just denied me access to the simulation," answered Dr. Ryan.**

"**Look!" yelled the petty officer, pointing to the main monitor. "The Walkers have left seven at the bottle neck and the rest are on the move."**

"**Where are they going? Somebody explain to me what in the hell is going on with my project!" yelled Mr. Black, he resorted to pounded the console to get everyone's attention.**

**The group ran passed a sign labeled Caf-Deck hallway.**

"**They are coming here. We taught the program to fight by defending and taking out the leadership. Just like it tried to do with the master chief," announced Dr. Ryan, who seemed rather shocked at what he was witnessing.**

"**Lock the hatch!" ordered Black, pointing at the open exit.**

"**Aye, aye," answered Petty Officer Blue, as he jumped to his feet and ran to the hatch. **

**Just as the hatch closed the Walkers reached the entrance each grabbing the handle. The petty officer held the end and stopped the entry by placing his stun stick in between the handle and the door.**

"**Look!" Ryan pointed at the monitors. **

**The prowler system activated and was searching the casino, the arena, the hallways, and everywhere there was a camera. All cameras were activating and deactivating, causing a strobe effect across the control room and on the faces of the command staff.**

**The monitors each stopped on different angles of one man, the Master Chief. He had recovered and moved from the arena to the bottleneck in the casino. **

"**Why is the computer watching him?"**

**All three monitors followed the Master Chief as he pulled his automatic and pointed it in the direction of the Walkers.**

"**No!" screamed Dr. Ryan, "Stop him!"**

"**Why?" asked Mr. Black.**

**Just then the gun went off and the back of the head of the first Walker exploded outward and the settler fell limp on to the deck.**

"**Gorram-it." Dr. Ryan, fell into his seat, as he watched another test subject fall.**

"**What's wrong? They'll have this mess cleaned up in a few minutes now." **

"**He just taught the gaming computer how to win," answered Dr. Ryan, he reached over to his EC unit and then just flung it away. "I told them that I needed more time to run tests, I need more control. But, hell, no." Looking up at Mr. Black and pointed to the main monitor. **

**The monitors had broken up into the 10 by 10 images of different cameras, all searching for something. The center monitor stopped on the automatic in the hand of the Master Chief, the next on the Petty Office that stood next to Mr. Black. The last monitor stopped at the ready room just off the docking bay near Black's ship. In one corner of the image was a shotgun leaning against the wall.**

"**What is that?" asked Mr. Black, moving from the hatchway to the left monitor.**

"**That is where all the weapons are that we took off the Starlight's crew; it is just some shotguns and a few pistols." **

"**Someone, tell me why they are there and not stored on the ship?" asked Mr. Black.**

"**The men just dropped them on the dock. I wasn't sure you would want anything from the Starlight on the ship."**

"**Okay, so, where are the guardsman's rifles."**

"**On the ship," answered the petty officer.**

"**I told them to go easy and I was afraid they would kill the Walkers." **

"**You are right doctor, we have lost," said Mr. Black, plopping into the oversized chair next to Ryan. He looked up to the main monitor and watched as the Master Chief began firing into the faces of the Walkers that remained at the bottleneck. In turn, each settler fell to the floor. **

**After seven shots, the guardsmen started up the ramp and into the crew area passing the entrance to the Caf-Deck and an opened vent hatch. **

Judy and Gabe looked on in horror, sitting arm in arm. "Oh, my, how are we going to tell the captain about what has happened?"

"We _ain__'__t_," answered Gabe, pulling his ships suit back over his shoulders.

They had watched the running battle, but there was no way to tell the captain what had been going on, Gabe knew it, and so did Judy.

The dozen or so confused zombies mulled around the docking bay. The soldiers ran up the ramp and over the bodies of the settlers. Mr. Black and Dr. Ryan sat in front of the control console watching the same images. One of the cameras focused on the zombie holding a shotgun.

"They look like they can't use the weapons," said Judy.

"The computer doesn't know how to use weapons," said Gabe, watching as the Master Chief moved in close. Without mercy he began shooting the Walkers down stopping to reload on the third shot.

Judy began to cry, turning her head into Gabe's neck.

Giving Gabe, an idea how to help his team, saying, "Oh, but _they_ do," he said, pulling Judy from his neck. He keyed in a statement into the log on the EC unit. All screens on the prowler system read the words.

_The men know how to use the weapons release them._

The Walkers stopped and screamed in a rage. "How do you like it?" The settlers awoke from their trance and fired the shotguns into the unarmed soldiers and orderlies that had just joined them. By the looks on the settler's faces the computer had released the real monsters, the ones that had been taken from their ships and forced to do these experiments.

Judy screamed and ran out of the hatched into the corridor.

"Stop!" yelled Gabe.

It was to late the gaming computer had already locked on to her. The three screens locked on one camera of Marty, one on Judy and one on command staff in the control room.

Marty was working to open the doors and Judy ran into the kitchen and disappeared behind the counter.

The computer took control of the settlers and in a few seconds they were upon Marty. He stood his ground but in the end the Walkers showed no mercy. He fell limp under the arms crashing down upon him.

Gabe sat on the bunk rocking back and forth, holding Adam's EC unit with both hands. "This is the evidence of what's happening."

The Walkers started to pull at the hatch weakened from Marty's torch.

Gabe could hear Judy screaming into the crawl space. The center screen shifted to the engineering room, where Adam and the others had slipped out of the other end.

Mr. Black was on the move also running for his life leaving the control deck and heading to his ship.

Gabe dropped the EC unit into his lap and opened up a screen. The center console showed his employee photo as soon as he opened the communications app.

"So, I got your attention now," he said aloud, keying an intercom connection between him and engineering. "Adam, most of the Alliance people are dead."

He could see Adam pause.

"You need to get us out of here, I think Marty is dead too."

"How did they die?" asked the captain.

"The gaming computer out thought them and the zombies killed them with weapons they took off of us."

Gabe watched the captain come into view. On the other monitor was the hatch of Black's ship. The Gaming computer had no access to their ship.

"Gabe we will get to you somehow. Won't we?" asked Jenny.

"Of course, we will need a new plan," said the captain as if he were trying to convince himself.

"Okay," responded Gabe, who started to rock once again.

"We will just have to figure out how to get passed the zombies," said Jenny, turning to the shelved crates against the back wall.

"Can you try to launch that protocol that slows the computer down again?" asked Adam.

Gabe lowered his head and started typing. "Yeah, I will work on it."

The banging got louder then and sounds of tools against the door.

"Gabe, how many are left?" asked Adam.

"Eight or nine, I am not sure."

He pulled the EC unit loose from the monitors and the screens went black. "If they are going to die I don't want to see it."

The banging stopped as Gabe rushed from his cabin into the corridor passing Zack as they met the on coming horde first. Gabe moved into the Caf-deck to the awaiting Judy.

"Adam, we are in the Caf-Deck. Hatch isn't going to hold them for long."

In the background, Adam could here the sounds of the remains of the Caf-deck door breaking apart.

The channel went out with a "FIZZ" sound and Adam looked over to the captain, who shook his head.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

By J.D. FarnWorth

**(081211)****All****rights****belong****to****that****of****Joss****Whedon,****Fox****and****whoever****else****would****lay****claim****to****the****Firefly****and****Serenity****Verse.****Don't****copy****or****use****this****material****without****the****permission****of****myself****AND****someone****holding****the**_**Gorram**_**copyright.****It****is****for****entertainment****use****only.**

**Starlight station, Module Two, Deck 9, July 12th, 2504, 21:41**

Adam, Jenny and the captain stood in silence listening to the feedback from the ship's intercom. The engineering room seemed to grow in size as the three lost all confidence.

A lump formed in Jenny's throat at the thought of Gabe and Judy, dying at the hands of the horde of zombies. Jenny climbed the shelf and pulled her duffle from its hiding place. _This__was__New__Years__all__over__again._ She was determined to find a way off the station and find a new place in the black, zombie horde or not.

Adam had given up on calling the zombies anything other than what they were, controlled by the Starlight's computer, they were the enemy now. Killing Judy and Gabe was the last straw.

The captain dropped to the decking and looked up at the camera hoping to hear from his crew. His crew, his plan and his responsibility; his fists tightened as the new plan formed. "Adam, you go see what the hell happened, Jenny, you stay here and block the hatch. I am going to head to the Grav-Room and take out the station's gravity system. Let's see how the horde can get around in weightlessness. Dohn mah?" He jumped up and headed out the hatch to the Grav-room.

Adam grabbed a large spanner and launched himself into the crawl space. He was determined that he would kill anyone in the Caf-Deck that hurt his friends.

Jenny threw her duffle on her back and tightened the strap. Reaching the hatch in three paces, she pulled it closed and tried the lock. It was broken, like most things on this derelict. She exploded, screaming, "Feh feh pi Gob," then giggled at the thought of her mother hearing her little princess speak such vulgar language. "Yes, mother," she yelled, looking into the over head lights, struggling with the first crate and then the second, dropping each at the foot of the hatch. "No! Mother. I do want to go to the training house." It was then she realized that it was their dream, their wish, not hers. The last 6 months on this station had been the happiest of her life. "Ku," She whispered as she heard the rapid foot falls, coming from the corridor.

Jenny smiled, deciding that she would have her new life. She would not end here after all that she had gone through.

A group of Walkers, now numbering five, had split off from the attack on the Caf-deck and headed down into the casino. The gaming computer chose which direction would have the best chance of another win for the casino.

"I always like the name, Virginia, a new Id tag and maybe I'll head out further on the rim."

The monitors in the control room, no longer manned, flashed different points of view from across the station.

"Docking release manually activated," said the Starlight's system, and then repeated it in Chinese. On the monitor the Alliance Patrol Boat the Falcon eased away from the Starlight's upper section.

The captain slipped into the Grav-room falling to the deck. He rolled onto his feet and tapped the intercom. "I am ready."

"Just do it!" exclaimed Jenny as the first of the zombies hit the hatch pushing the pile of debris a full three inches.

As the captain was about to key in the right combination into the gravity console, Jenny's screams came from the intercom. "They're here!"

The hatch opened fully, she turned to run, but it was too late. She turned and hit the first zombie, knocking him to the ground. The second and third grabbed at her just as the captain made good on his promises to shut the gravity down. The deck plating clicked and the sound of metal on metal could be heard from all around.

The two zombies clung helplessly to Jenny as she pushed off the deck.

"Docking release manually activated," said the Starlight's systems computer, and then repeating it in Chinese. On the monitor the Firefly called Betty eased away from the Starlight's lower docking ring.

Adam, crawled hand over hand through the belly of the Starlight's guts, he emerged as the station lost gravity. The Caf-Deck was silent and dark, but no horde lay waiting on his side of the counter. Easing as if in slow motion he peaked over the counter to what lay on the other side.

Judy stood with Gabe and two settlers. In the hands of the settlers were cookies and tea. The fluid floated out of the cups as they jumped in surprise in seeing him.

"What the hell! We thought you were dead!" he exclaimed in his excitement he let the spanner go, which floated away.

"Gabe is my hero. He took out the camera in the Caf-Deck and the computer was blinded. These two were in here when it happened. When the camera went down it shorted out the power," she answered pointing over to the camera and the busted EC unit.

"Let me guess you throw the evidence at the camera."

"Well, what good was the evidence if we were dead," answered Gabe.

"Well, I guess I can't argue, we need to be getting out of here." Adam turned to leave but was stopped by one of the settlers.

"We can't go that way. My wife stepped out of the hatch, and the computer took her over once again." He looked both sad and terrified at the thought of once again going in to slavery. "I am Tyranny, and this is Nero."

"It is nice to meet you," said Judy, smiling widely at the man and his friend.

"We don't have much time. We need to get the docking ring. The captain is going to…" Adam was interrupted as the alarm signaled, and the decks flashed red with a strobe light from the warning system.

"_May I have your attention? An evacuation order has been requested. All guest and crew will report to the lifeboat stations. We at the Lexus Corporation would like to thank you for your assistance," said the computer the message repeated in Chinese. _

"Okay, you two head into the crawl space." Adam pointed at Nero and Tyranny. "There are no cameras, so you should be okay. We are going to head down the corridor and through the casino. It is the only way, Judy and Gabe will get off this station."

30 seconds earlier.

The captain struggled with two of the zombies as he reached an alarm panel, hitting the woman with his left arm to free his right, he pulled open the panel. The zombies seemed to have no trouble fighting in zero gravity. He pulled the handle down to the bottom, triggering the evacuation alarm.

As he raised back and was about to kill the man that had been crawling up his leg he realized the man showed emotion in his face. Something the zombie's lacked before.

"You all there?" he asked the man.

"Yeah, I think so." The man grunted.

"You mind letting go."

"Sorry," said the man.

The captain turned to the bulkhead and pulled himself over to the intercom and triggered the com, station wide. "Adam, the computer has released control of the zombies." He looked over and apologized with his eyes for calling them zombies.

The man that had been crawling up his leg, nodded in understanding.

"Let's get out of here," he said it into the intercom but really meant it for the confused man and woman around him.

"We are already on our way," responded Adam, pulling his body across the video poker machines of the main casino.

The captain, together with his new friends, was first to get to the docking ring. He went to work punching out instructions on the console.

"Here comes someone," yelled the woman.

Adam was not more than fifty meters from the console, where the captain tapped away on the little screen. He pushed off the bulkhead launching him self down the corridor, followed by the others.

Adam pointed to the little hatch, "Go!"

Judy pushed off and disappeared into the hatchway. One by one everyone slipped into the opening.

"Captain, where's Jenny?"

The captain continued to type orders into the console. "I don't know."

Adam launched himself down the hallway as another group of settlers emerged from the same corridor he had come from. One of the men pulled Jenny along. Adam's mouth dropped open as he reached her floating body.

"I think she is alive," said the man pulling her along by the wrist.

Adam grabbed her by the waist and held her for just a moment before taking charge of her limp body. "Go," he ordered the men and pointed to the captain at the console.

He turned her up right and kissed her on the mouth despite the blood from her wounds that were all over her face. He pushed her away to get a better look and met her eyes staring back at him.

"The first one is free; the second one will cost you." She smiled, and then grunted in pain.

"Captain!" he exclaimed as he launched her down the corridor.

The captain looked up as the Jenny reached him. He caught her with ease and pushed her into the little opening.

Inside the compartment, it was getting a little crowded as Jenny dropped to the decking. The captain stepped over her and Adam followed pulling her up from the deck of the Captain's Launch.

"The gravity plating is working fine in here, by the feel of it," complained Jenny rubbing her head.

Gabe stepped over to the hatch and pulled it closed as he heard someone on the other side. He gave it a push, and there was Zack holding his brother in his arms.

Zack smiled pushing his brother into Gabe's arms, "I figure we could eat him if it takes too long to get rescued."

Marty moved a little and gave Zack the finger.

"You're alive?"

Marty laid his little hand flat and moved it side to side.

"I think that means, so, so," answered Zack, entering the Captain's launch and finding a seat for his brother and him.

"It looks like you broke your jaw," said Judy, moving over to help care for Marty.

He shook his head and pointed to the men who sat quietly.

"Sorry," said Tyranny, lowering his head in thought.

"We will have time for apologies later," interrupted Adam, as he locked the pressure hatch and spun the handle around.

"Ready?" asked the captain.

"Everyone, hold on!" yelled Judy.

On the well lit deck of the Falcon. Commander Black stood next to his command chair. He watched the front screen waiting for the transport to be out of the way.

"The Betty is underway," said Petty Officer Blue.

"Fire, all weapons until there is nothing left of the Starlight. Mark the disposal of the station as a main reactor breach."

"Aye, aye."

Just as the first of the volleys of light hit the station, small objects scattered from the lower and upper half of the station, out into all direction.

"Life pods launched, Sir, the computer tallies three hundred objects and counting."

"It was expected, they're empty."

"Maybe a few guardsmen got away."

"No, it must be a malfunction, main guns continued to fire on what's left of the station. Inform the engine room, we will be going to full burn in 30 seconds."

The home team moved away in the captain's launch with the rest of the life pods scattering into the black. They watched as the Starlight was awash in white light with destruction set upon it by Black's ship. It slowly was disappearing from view. The Alliance vessel's main engine lit the view ports as the ship went into full burn.

"How soon to Jubilee? I'm hungry!" yelled Gabe.

"Not for a few hours. I am afraid to go to full burn, until they have put some distance between us and them. I am going to have to thank Mr. Black for making me a captain. After all, only the captain can take the launch out for a spin."

"Can I come and help you thank him?" asked Adam.

"Yeah, can I come to," whispered Jenny.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Jubilee is a bad idea," stated Nero.

"Why is that?" asked Adam.

"Wrong time of the year, Jubilee is rounding the Red, The only planet that is close is Greenleaf," said Nero, without raising his head.

"How would you know without a chart," asked Adam.

"He is our navigator," whispered the woman.

"I have family there, and I know of a place to get help for the wounded," said Judy.

"So, Greenleaf it is," stated the captain.

The arrow shaped launch slipped into full burn disappearing quietly into the black. Leaving what was left of the station to slowly burn out and fade away.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

By J.D. FarnWorth

**(081911) All rights belong to that of Joss Whedon, Fox and whoever else would lay claim to the Firefly and Serenity Verse. Don't copy or use this material without the permission of myself AND someone holding the Gorram copyright. It is for entertainment use only. **

**Note: I have started adding translations at the end of every chapter. If anyone would like a translation of a line in Chapters 1 and 3, just send a note.**

**In transit; Red Sun System, July 13th, 2504, 05:41 ETWT**

The Captain's Launch was quiet; it had been a long day. Sixteen hours ago life had been somewhat normal. The cabin lights had been turned down to help calm its passengers. The launch was comfortable for up to eight souls and two pilots with little room for cargo. It was built for speed, which with the extra mass; it wasn't going its top speed.

Adam stirred and looked up at the woman and 6 men. Each remained awake and each was fighting their own battle to stay awake. Their heads bobbled, one by one, but lifted just at the edge of sleep. They had gone through hell and had come out as survivors. _If__I__could__call__them__that,__he__thought._Adam repositioned himself on the floor next to Jenny. She had been hurt badly by their new friends. He knew that it hadn't been their fault. He also knew who's fault is was.

The Alliance strived to bring the unruly people of the verse under their control. Slavery was know throughout the Galaxy, and was nothing new. A man could find himself on a slaver ship for a number of reasons; some were very much justified in the eyes of the federals. However, what the Alliance scientist did to those men and women was nothing of the sort. They abducted them off their ship and brought them to the Starlight to perform test. They wanted to control their every movement; they wanted slaves to do the Alliance's bidding.

He touched Jenny's forehead. He quickly pulled his hand away and touched Judy's forehead and then back to Jenny's. "She has a fever."

"I know," whispered Judy. Moving a little closer and letting Gabe fall to the floor with a thump.

"What can be done?" asked Adam.

"At the moment, Shénme."

Adam nodded in understanding and slowly stood. His bones cracked and he stretched to loosen his frame. He quietly stepped over the unconscious crewmate and nodded to Zack who had remained awake to watch over his broken brother.

Marty had been beaten within an inch of his little life, by the same seven that sat across the cabin from the Starlight's crew.

"How is he?" whispered Adam looking at Zack.

"Adam, he hasn't moved for three hours. But he is still alive."

Adam nodding and glanced up to their new friends, catching the glances from each of them, they felt bad for what had happened but there was anger staring back at him. He turned, telling himself, _this__wasn__'__t__their__fault_. This hadn't been anyone's fault, other than the man in black, Doctor Ryan, and _Gorram_ Alliances willingness to let this happen. They were pushing out further and further, to bring civilization to the border planets. When the planets that had survived without them for almost 50 years pushed back, they would send men like Mr. Black to enforce the Alliance's will.

He could site different times in history, when men stood up for what was right, when their freedom was threatened. That, after all, was why he found himself in the company he kept these days. When the Americas were founded, they had to fight for their right to life and liberty, but now things were different. More like America's first Civil War. He said a quick prayer that the good people would not fight again. Everyone had learned about the second civil war from their parents, who had learned about it from their parents.

_Shortly before human's left, "Earth that was". There were three wars that left the world broken. Half the population was dead or dying when the first ships left orbit. There are still some that believe that a great deal of people still remained back there. One day, he hoped he would know for sure. _

Adam moved past everyone and into the cockpit, sitting next to the captain. The man had come a long way in just a day's time, from a half crazed spacer, who just wanted to have a little fun to the serious captain, piloting them to safety, all on the pull of a straw.

"How is it coming?" whispered Adam, looking out at the Red ball. He wondered if he would lose his eye sight if he continued to look, but figured the front ports were protected from the solar rays.

"Hmm. Well, it's coming. Do you see that little dot off to the left? That is Greenleaf."

Adam looked out the blue planet and slowly turned around to confront the captain at the minor revelation stirring in his head. "Why is it off to the left and not the dead ahead of us?" He turned to point out the front port and then looked back into the cabin as if he alone shouldered this new secret.

"I have been doing some calculations, we are too heavy."

"Too heavy," repeated Adam, looking back to Gabe's 400 plus pounds and leaning closer to the captain. "What are you getting at Rod?"

"I was thinking on burning up a little fuel, but it hasn't had much effect on our weight. We will still be far too heavy. We are okay, floating about space where we just burn more fuel to get ourselves moving, but once we hit the Atmo, we will fall like a rock."

"Can you land her?" Adam asked, with a watchful eye back into the cabin.

"I don't know," answered the captain, with the confidence of a mole worm.

"You are a pilot?"

"No, I am an engineer and a good one at that. I know how to pilot a spacecraft, I know how to dock a spacecraft, I even know how to fixer if her breaks, but…"

"You don't know how to fly a craft in inside the atmosphere of a planet?"

"Heck, I haven't been planet side in three decades."

He returned to his work and Adam sat back and wondered what would happen to Jenny, if they waited to get to a station which could be days. "No, captain, we need to tell the crew." He stood and moved back into the cabin without stopping to discuss it any further. He could feel the captain pulling at his uniform as he did so, but in the end he let him go.

"May I have your attention," announced Adam.

"Yes, I would like your best ale and a Yú tǎ kē," asked Gabe.

Adam shook his head. "Not now Gabe, I have something to tell everyone, so wake up." He watched his crew stir from their slumber and couldn't bring himself to look over to the other half of the group.

"Does it have something to do with the fact that the captain has no intention on going to Greenleaf?" asked Vin flatly, pointing out the port side.

Adam turned and looked at the shiny blue planet. They had been looking out the view ports all along, not just staring at him and his crew for the last few hours. "Oh, well, I see you are more informed than the rest of us."

"What are you saying?" asked Judy, turning to see her home planet for herself.

"We have a problem," answered Adam, "as everyone can see we are not, on a course for Greenleaf."

"Adam, Marty can't wait, he needs to go to a _hospital_ or a horse doctor, and I don't care, as long as he is seen by someone."

"Nero, can fly," said the woman.

Adam noticed the others looking sternly in her direction.

"Explain?" asked Adam.

"I thought he was your navigator?" asked Gabe.

"He is both," answered Vin, looking around at the others before continuing. "He asked us not to tell anyone that he was the pilot. Mary shouldn't have told you…"

"Why," said Adam.

"…because, up until a day ago, we were on our way to a new life on Miranda. That is until; we experienced a malfunction with our ship's environmental system. The Speedwell sprung a leak and we needed to put in somewhere for repairs. The Cortex stated that Raven's Station had great service at going rates. But when we got there, there was no one around. The whole place looked like a grave yard for ships."

"I came about, and felt the first harpoon take hold, then the second. It made it impossible to escape," said Nero. He lowered his head and went back to shouldering the blame.

"Turns out, the place was a trap, they reeled us in," continued Vin.

"But, why we're not the Alliance," said Judy, injecting.

"Mister, you are wearing an Alliance uniform, just like the ones the pirates wore."

Judy laughed. "I _ain__'__t_ no Alliance anything and I sure the heck, _aren__'__t_ a man. Wǒ de rǔfáng bǐ nǐ dà!" She started pulling her uniform from her shoulders when Adam stopped her.

"Judy, you're not helping, no one wants to see them. I mean to say we are not the Alliance that everyone knows and fears. We are a different kind," Adam fumbled over his words.

"What he means is that most of us were raised on the one of the border planets and have never seen the Core. We took jobs in space and ended up on that giant _fèn,_ we called the Starlight," stated Judy, nodding to Adam to go on.

"Us that moved out here from the core, are running away from something or to something," answered Adam, looking back at Jenny.

"We need to get back to our ship," asked Mary, the only woman of the group.

"I know and we need to get our friends to Greenleaf for Medical treatment," answered Adam, regaining his composer.

"We have children," said Mary, blurting out some untold secret and slapping her hand to her mouth.

"Shut up!" exclaimed one of the other men.

"No, let her talk," said Judy, standing to her full height, which would have looked far more impressive in a taller cabin.

"I would listen to her," stated Gabe.

"Captain, maybe you should come back here," asked Adam, looking away from the settlers for the first time since the conversation had started.

The captain stepped into the cabin and turned to Judy's point of interest. "What has happened?"

"She was saying something about children and that other one mouthed off. Now, she all closed up about it," answered Judy, moving closer to the man on the end with the mouth.

Adam moved to intercept her, he was half her size and it made no difference. Other than the fact he felt her ease up when he got in between.

"Can someone start talking? Before Judy starts working this guy over," asked the captain, who found himself caught up between Adam and Judy.

"We have children on the Speedwell," said Mary, "We hid them from the pirates. They are tucked away in the forward cargo hold."

"But, you said, there was a leak." Judy pulled away from Adam and moved back to her place next to Gabe. "We need to save them kids Cap'n."

"Yeah, but first things, first…" he answered, pointing to the direction of Jenny and Marty.

"If I get you to your doctor, will you help us rescue their kids?" asked Nero, leaning back in the seat for the first time since the trip had begun.

The captain looked to Adam and then to each of the others before answering. "Yeah, I think we can come to an understanding."

"It isn't that you didn't want us to know you were a pilot, is it that you know the codes to activate your ship," stated Adam.

Nero nodded, "So, it remains right where it started."

"Unless, someone tows her out of there," stated Zack, before he thought to check his wording.

"We hadn't thought about that," said Mary, shooting daggers at him with her glare.

"Okay, Okay, but what about the atmosphere," asked Judy, wrapping her arms about Gabe's shoulders.

"The leak is in the main cargo section, crew and dinning area," answered Nero, as he stood, everyone noticed his elf like features for the first time. He was thin as a rail, white as a sheet, with pointy little ears.

"What's with the ears? You some sort of alien," said Gabe, without thinking.

"No, I was just born with pointy ears. Does anyone know where on Greenleaf we're heading?" He walked passed the captain and moved into the pilot's seat.

"The coordinate are set in the Nav-con," answered the captain. He watched him disappear into the cockpit and turned to Adam. "I better give him a hand, it won't be long now," said the captain, slipping into the cockpit.

"Everyone, you best get yourselves seated," said Judy.

The stars out the view ports changed as the Captain's Launch turned towards the planet of Greenleaf. Out the front, view port the little planet, grew in their field of vision. Nero's hands flew over the controls as the craft hit the atmosphere and they leveled off for flight.

"We're okay, just a little heavy!" yelled Nero over the growing noise.

"I was thinking that we were heavy, with the extra passengers and all!" yelled the captain.

"No, it's more than that, there must be something else," answered Nero, struggled with the yoke as the launch began to shutter violently.

"Are we going to crash?" asked the captain.

"Did someone say we're going to crash?" yelled Adam.

"I'll take that beer and fish taco, now," Gabe said, as he was slapped in back of the head by his new girlfriend.

"I don't want to die!" yelled one of the Speedwell's crew.

Nero lowered the nose and dropped the altitude of the launch to gain control of the ship. The sound of the wind ripped through the outer frame of the launch, unnerving its occupants.

Translations:

Wǒ de rǔfáng bǐ nǐ dà, My tits are bigger than yours.

Shénme, nothing.

Yú tǎ kē, fish taco.

_Fèn, Turd._


End file.
